


Muffins and Mourning

by blue_jay_36



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: AU, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Apocalypse, Protective Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:14:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 26,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29391804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blue_jay_36/pseuds/blue_jay_36
Summary: Technoblade, Dream, Skeppy, and Bad live together in a dystopia/post current government world where Techno’s always lived as an anarchist, and the other three were reported for being gay. They’re all working together to rescue as many people as possible, until one hunter that’s a very familiar face screws up an ordinary supply run.
Relationships: Background Skephalo - Relationship, Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Zak Ahmed & Darryl Noveschosch
Comments: 8
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first time posting any fic, if you found your way here I hope you enjoy! I’ve written some dnf before but not really any skephalo, but this is by far my favorite fic I’ve worked on. Chapters should be pretty short, I’ll try to update fairly often since I spend a lot of time working on this instead of homework. If there’s anything you like or don’t like feel free to say something :)

One  
“Dre-am,” he hears, a lightly accented song. Not from around here. A hunter, probably dangerous. The voice is familiar, which might make for some difficulty, if they’ve hunted him and Techno before. His heart speeds up, breaths quietly sucked into lungs that feel too small. He’s crouched on a fire escape, above a dead-end alley with a building on one end, and a street full of people on the other end.  
His eyes flick to Techno, in a similar stance across the alley. His bright pink hair spills across his shoulders, mask in place, the shadows across the tusks of it giving him a demonesque look. His white button-up stretches crisply across his arms, disappearing under a short red cloak. His crossbow is drawn, aimed at a point below Dream.  
He adjusts his own mask slightly, a simple white thing with a smile on it, something he picked up a long time ago. His green hood is pulled tightly around his head.  
They really screwed up today. It should have been an ordinary supply run. Skeppy got a common virus on a run a few days ago, and they were looking for medicine when it all went wrong. The place they’d scoped out originally didn’t have anything, so they went somewhere else- but got sighted when running with the bottles, and Techno bolted- now they’re here.  
Dream looks around yet again. The most likely plan of escape is him or Techno pretending to make a break for the street and the other sneaking up and killing the hunters. It probably won’t go well without being sighted, but it’s the only way out besides going through the building and trying to lose the hunters in there.  
Dream quickly signals Techno the plan, and vaults over the railing before he can be met with any opposition. He hears Techno hit the ground and two sets of footsteps start after Dream, the same two bodies hitting the ground. He whirls back around and realizes why the hunter sounded familiar.  
Two hunters lie on the ground, one facedown with an arrow straight through his neck. He doesn’t move. The other is breathing shallowly, an arrow buried in his stomach. Dream approaches just as Techno’s blades flash in the low light. Dream stands over the one that’s still breathing, and is about to walk away when a hand seizes his ankle and yanks him down. He hits the ground hard, and feels the blade under his chin before he registers the hunter sitting on his chest, pushing the blade against his throat.  
“One more step and he’s dead,” the hunter snarls, his soft accent all too familiar.  
Techno lunges toward the hunter and he brings down a blade toward Dream’s face. He desperately rolls out of the way, but the hilt strikes his mask and he feels the shards fall off his face, searing pain on his cheekbone. He swings wildly toward the hunter’s face and connects, the hunter falling backward. He hears the two blades skip across the pavement. He presses his own knife to the hunter’s neck and watches the hunter’s eyes widen as he, too, recognizes Dream.  
“Clay?” he whispers in disbelief.  
“We have to take him,” Dream says abruptly. Techno doesn’t question him, just hands him a small concoction that they made yesterday to make people sleep for a certain amount of time.  
“What are you-” The hunter slumps, eyes closing and muscles relaxing as the potion takes effect. He tosses it back and heaves the man over his shoulder.  
“Sewers?”  
“Sewers,” Dream agrees, and Techno heaves a manhole cover out of place and Dream drops down with the man still tossed over his shoulder.  
Once Techno puts it back into place, they walk along the sewer tunnel, Techno referring to a small map and guiding them through the extensive tunnel network. They make it back to their base after a while, a hidden bunker abandoned long ago with an entrance under a dock. Dream is getting tired by the time they make it to the base, and Techno’s haste isn’t helping. Once they finally make it and Bad lets them in, Dream unceremoniously dumps the hunter, the arrow having been removed earlier.  
“Is he okay?” Bad asks of the hunter, adjusting him so he lays flat on the ground.  
“I dunno,” Dream mutters, taking out the medicine to give to Skeppy.  
“Who the f-”  
“Language!”  
“Who the heck is this guy?” Skeppy snaps, accepting the medicine.  
“The one who got me exiled. He saw me with my mask off, and I couldn’t let him stay there.”  
“Why didn’t you just kill him?” Skeppy yells. Bad goes to get a first aid kit.  
“He’ll be useful. Bad, what are you doing?”  
“Helping him, you muffinhead! You shot him and then carried him across the city! And you’re all bloody,” he says disapprovingly. “Change and help me take care of him. Or else he won’t be any use at all.” He takes off the hunter’s shirt, revealing a small hole on his side. He takes a bottle of something out of the kit, and Dream quickly turns away to change.  
By the time he comes back with clean clothes, the man is conscious and Bad has finished with the bandages.  
“Clay,” the man says hoarsely.  
“George,” Dream acknowledges icily.  
“How do you know Dream?” Techno asks, sitting in a chair cleaning one of his blades.  
“He’s the one who got me exiled,” Dream says, even more icily.  
“This is the George?” Techno says incredulously.  
“Yes. The George.”  
Bad looks at Dream, concerned, and he pretends not to see it. “Techno, put him in the cell please.”  
“He’s not-”  
“I said put him in the cell,” Dream says angrily, stalking toward his room.  
“Clay, please talk to me. I can explain why-”  
“George, my entire family hates me. My life was shattered. They exiled me. It’s your fault. You felt guilty and decided to ruin my life. There isn’t an excuse for that. I said we could run. You said you’d come with me. You promised, George, I was going to spend the rest of my life with you. And you decided I should suffer. I don’t think an explanation is necessary. You’re here because you were a loose end. That’s all.” He exhales. “I’m going to bed.”  
He walks to his room, his friends and the love of his life staring after him.  
He wasn’t ready to see George again. He wasn’t ready to see someone who he had loved so much, who had betrayed him, again.  
He hears a knock at the door and George hobbles in.  
“Please, Clay, just let me explain,” he begs.  
“What’s there to explain?”  
“My brother. He saw us that last night. He told me the next morning- he said he’d hurt you. He’d kill you- he’d kill us both, turn us in and make sure we both got the death penalty unless I reported you. Unless I proved myself- a true citizen. I tried to fight back but he forced me. He made me do it. I knew you were smart enough to survive, but I knew he meant it- Every day I’ve regretted it. I’m sorry,” he says over and over, begging Dream to forgive him. “Please don’t be angry, I’ve been trying to find you. I wish I’d never done it.”  
“Get out, George,” Dream whispers, and as soon as he closes the door behind him lets out a sob.  
He hears Techno out in the hall, hauling George into the cell. Bad knocks at his door and Skeppy trails after him, Skeppy sitting down on the floor and Bad sitting next to him on the bed.  
“Are you okay?” he asks gently. Dream shakes his head silently.  
“You still love him,” Bad says. It’s not a question. Dream nods.  
“I really don’t think he’s going to hurt you,” Bad says. “He loves you.”  
“How do you know?” Dream says, voice raw.  
“He looks at you like that silly muffin looks at me,” Bad says quietly. “Like you’re his whole world.”  
Dream’s seen that look on Skeppy’s face. It makes your heart ache, like nothing else. It makes your heart ache because you can never imagine someone looking at you that way. You can never imagine someone looking at you like you are everything to them, like you are everything that they could possibly want in life. That’s the kind of look they share daily.  
Dream thinks that if nothing else, Skeppy and Bad could convince everyone that the Republic is wrong.  
He used to see that look from George. George used to look at him like that. On every illegal night they spent together, George looked at him, just looked at him like there isn’t a thing in the world he’d rather see. That’s why it’s so hard for him to believe Bad. Because they used to be just like him and Skeppy, and then George betrayed him. And now Bad claims that he loves him.  
“Give him one more chance,” Bad says quietly. “I know he hurt you. But I think he’s truly sorry. And I haven’t seen you happy in a while. We knew you when you were with George, remember? You smiled that same stupid smile whenever you saw him. I haven’t seen you smile since. Give him a chance. What’s the worst that could happen? He’s stuck here. He loves you, Dream, and you love him. We want to see you smile again.”  
“You have any advice, Skeppy?” Dream hears himself asking.  
“If George loves you half as much as I love him,” Skeppy says, nodding toward Bad, “then you’re one lucky mo- muffin,” he amends quickly. “Give him another chance. I’ve seen the way you look at him, Dream. You want to just as much as he wants you to. Go.” He smiles gently. Bad opens his arms and Skeppy nestles himself into them, sitting sideways on Bad’s lap with his arms locked around his neck. Bad’s arms tug him close and the pair smiles at Dream.  
“Go on. Talk to him,” they encourage, and Dream gets up and walks nervously to the only room that locks from the outside.  
“He’s only going to hurt you, you know,” Techno says quietly. “I don’t want him to hurt you again.”  
“I don’t think he will,” Dream says quietly.  
“You can’t be sure,” Techno worries.  
“I think I can,” Dream says. “I’ll be okay.” He walks past him, but he can feel his gaze burning into the back of his head.  
He walks up to the room, the only room locked from the outside in the bunker. He opens it and closes it behind him. George is sitting against the wall, looking ashen, leaning back. He’s obviously been crying, but doesn’t meet Dream’s eyes with any anger. Just sadness and regret. And just a hint of the look they were talking about, that might as well be copy and pasted from Skeppy’s face, but a little less sick with love, a little more awake. Less blissful.  
“Clay.”  
“George.”  
George shakily climbs to his feet and walks unsteadily toward Dream. He pauses for a second then cautiously falls against his chest, wrapping his arms around Dream. Dream’s arms wrap around George before he can stop himself, and he feels George’s body shake with a sob. He hugs George tighter.  
“Dream, I’m so freaking sorry,” George sobs, Dream feeling his tears leak onto his shirt. “I’m so, so sorry.”  
“It’s okay,” he whispers, and for the first time in a while, he means it. With George back in his arms, everything really is okay.  
“No it’s- no it’s not. You said it yourself-” he hiccups “-I ruined your life. Because I got scared. That’s not okay.”  
“George, it was a life I had already prepared to walk away from. All for you.”  
“I’ve wished every day that I had gone with you. I was so scared. I didn’t want you to get hurt, and I-” He dissolves into sobs again.  
“You’re here now.”  
“And I wanna stay,” he sniffles, looking up at Dream. “I wanna stay. I’ll tell you everything I know. Please, baby, let me stay.”  
“You can stay,” he says. “Techno doesn’t trust you. But Bad and Skeppy do. They talked me into doing this. If you tell us something important and it turns out to be true, then he’ll trust you-”  
“Technoblade? The famous anarchist?”  
“Yeah.”  
“I can’t- I can’t believe you’re Dream,” George laughs tearfully. “This is… properly insane.”  
“Kinda,” he laughs. He looks down at George and it tears through his heart, and tears leak out of his eyes.  
George impulsively takes Dream’s face in his hand and leans up, kissing him softly. Dream’s hands curve around George’s bare torso, sliding up his back to bury a hand in his hair, tilting his head back to kiss George harder.  
He hears the door open and Bad’s voice asking for him. He hears a gasp and pulls away from George.  
“I see everything is working out,” Bad says, smirking. Skeppy’s standing next to him, arm wrapped around Bad’s waist, smiling approvingly.  
“Let me out of prison?” George asks, smiling angelically. Dream laughs and leads him out, George’s hand twining in his.  
“It’s late,” Techno says grudgingly. “Go to sleep.” He disappears into his room.  
Dream leads George to his room, saying goodnight to Bad and Skeppy as they go into their room. George cuddles next to him apprehensively, and Dream pulls his body close, gently kissing his forehead. George melts, pressing gently against Dream’s body. They smile and Dream watches George doze off.  
Dream thinks about the last night the pair spent together. They were getting into it by then, and probably would have finally gone all the way had they not been interrupted. George threw him out and the next day he was called to the courthouse for a trial. They were about to kill him when Techno swooped in, throwing smoke bombs and whisked him out of there. He hadn’t seen George again until now, months after it was his name on the document as the reporter of the incident. He should probably feel apprehensive, or distrusting, like he was- but all he can feel is relief. Euphoria and George’s soft smell wash through his senses, and he tightens his arms around the sleeping man lying peacefully next to him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and happy (late) Valentine’s Day! Things get a little angsty in this chapter, I probably should have added some more romance fluffiness but instead you get all the annoyance I have for that stupid holiday. I hope you spent it with someone you love, be that platonic or otherwise.   
> I was so frikin surprised anyone found this, but I hope that if you came back you like this chapter! Enjoy :) Three should be out soon.

“Coming over tonight?” George and Dream are walking out of the Hunter’s Training Academy, and this is murmured under his breath.  
This is back when they were still training to be Hunters. Neither one of them wanted to be. They sleep over at each other’s houses sometimes, the perfect companionship.   
In everyone else’s eyes, anyway. What they do is highly illegal, and if the Republic had its way then they would be dead.  
But two guys kissing wouldn’t hurt anyone, right?  
“Yeah,” Dream says quietly. “I’ll be over in thirty minutes.” They part ways, their urges to kiss goodbye but as they could be shot right there for doing so, they don’t.  
It is an anxious fever of preparation until Dream shows up at George’s house exactly thirty minutes later. George welcomes him in, closing the door and making sure no one can see them before timidly slipping his hand into Dream’s. They go up to his room and George closes the door. George pulls his curtains shut, double checking everything. Finally, Dream takes George’s hand again, leading him to the bed. They just lie together for a while, talking quietly about their days, George’s head lying on Dream’s arm, face pressed into Dream’s chest.   
The conversation dissolves into still silence. It feels like time has stopped just for them. Just so they can spend these moments together.  
George hesitantly props himself up to kiss Dream, Dream’s lips parting, letting George climb onto him and deepen the kiss. Dream moves carefully, as if George is a skittish butterfly and he could flit away any second. He feels George blush and laughs quietly, securing his hands on George’s waist.  
“I love you,” George says quietly, and Dream’s smile stretches across his face as George pulls back to say it.  
“I love you too,” Dream says back, just as quietly. George lies on his chest, thin and short compared to Dream. They smile, over and over, unable to stop.  
That look that George gave him that night. That’s been haunting him since.  
George started kissing him then, running his hands up his chest, his shirt cast to the other side of the room. It took a different tone, frantic, clothes being torn violently off, George’s tongue overwhelming Dream’s senses. He turned it around then, crouching over George, hands on his waistband when there was a violent knock on the door. It burst open and George’s brother stood there, seeing plainly how Dream was on top of George, hand already dipped in his waistband.   
What happened next was a blur.   
There was yelling. Screaming. George’s brother hauling Dream out, shoving him off the front stoop into the street. He was apprehended there, George’s brother yelling that Dream had tried to make a move on George, and the police dragging him away.   
He spent that night in jail.  
The trial was the next day. He was led into the courtroom in chains. George wasn’t there, but both their families were. His mother cried when she saw him. His father shook his head. His sister, his little sister, looked at him in disgust.  
He didn’t cry, but he wanted to.  
He was sentenced. The death penalty. They led his little sister out of the room. They were about to kill him right there when Techno broke in, throwing dust bombs around the courthouse and yanking Dream out, pulling him down through the sewers and running to the bunker.  
Bad and Skeppy had gotten arrested a few months prior. They were friends of Dream’s. He was surprised to see them in the bunker, and they were shocked to see him too. Bad gave him a huge hug and Skeppy waited behind him.  
Dream finally cried then. His shoulders shook and Bad hugged him, Skeppy finally coming up to join the hug.  
Skeppy disengaged to go help Techno take off his gear, asked him about the weapons. Bad stayed with Dream and asked him what happened. He sobbed out the story, Bad comfortingly pulling his arm around Dream and whispering in increments that it’s okay, let it out.  
Bad hugs him again once he finishes.  
“I thought you were dead,” Dream chokes out, gesturing toward him and Skeppy.  
“Techno saved us, same as you. He’s crazy, he knows all the things- who’s getting what trial and why. He’s- There aren’t a lot of us. You know. Guys who… like guys.” He smiles. “He tries to rescue those people. He got us. And you.”  
“Should I try to get the brown-haired boy?” Techno asks, hanging the small red cloak on a hook, handing Skeppy his crossbows and extra weapons.  
“Huh?” Bad asks.  
“The boy. I thought he’d be at the trial, but he wasn’t. The guy he’s in love with.”  
“George?”  
“Him.”  
“No. He reported it.”  
Silence stretches across the room.  
“He reported himself?”  
“No. He reported me. Claimed I’d ‘made advances’ or something once his brother came in. Never mind the fact he was the one trying to take my- ahem.” He clears his throat uncomfortably. “Point is, no. I don’t want you to go rescue him. He’s the one who got me sentenced in the first place.”

Dream wakes up the morning after George was taken. George is cuddled into his side, tearstained face buried in Dream’s neck, hand pushed up Dream’s back, pressed flat against his spine. George is still asleep, mouth slightly open.  
George is a really cute sleeper. He looks peaceful, happy. Serene.  
Dream is so happy that George is his. There isn’t anyone in the world who he’d rather be lying here with. No one else he’d rather have in his arms.  
He is really, truly, happy.   
They lie there for a few hours, Dream letting George sleep for a little while longer. As cute as George is when he’s sleeping, he’s even cuter when he’s waking up. He opens his eyes slowly and blinks them into focus, a smile growing on his face as he recognizes Dream lying next to him.  
“Good morning,” Dream says, smiling the way you do when you try to stop smiling, but you’re just so happy that you can’t do anything but smile.  
“Mmph,” George groans, burying his face back into Dream’s chest.  
“Good morning, muffins!” they hear Bad yell.  
“Be careful. Bad’s a morning person,” Dream warns, half-joking.  
“No really, I made muffins!” Bad calls, unceremoniously yanking a still half-asleep Skeppy down the hall. He rubs his eyes, suspiciously wearing Bad’s shorts and hoodie. “Wake uppppp!!!”   
“Will I learn to love this or is it just. Pain.” George gestures vaguely toward the obnoxiously loud Bad dancing Skeppy down the hallway.  
“You’ll adapt,” Dream says, sitting up. “Once you taste Bad’s breakfast spread, you won’t be mad.”  
“Breakfast?” George sits up quickly. Bad pokes his head in, practically yanking the two of them to the main room, a living room/kitchen/dining room. Skeppy collapses on the couch, Bad giving him a quick kiss.  
“I might ask for your help in a bit,” he says, and Skeppy grunts, lying down. “Don’t fall back asleep.”  
“Isn’t that what Bad was wearing yesterday?” George asks under his breath, nodding at Skeppy.  
“Yeah,” Dream says grimly. “It is.”  
George laughs quietly and snakes his arm around Dream’s hips, smiling up at him. Dream feels a stupidly large smile spread across his face.  
“Is there anything I can do to help?” George asks, breaking away from Dream to talk to Bad. Dream follows him like a lost puppy, grasping his hand before he gets too far away.   
“No, of course not! You just sit down with Dream here. If I need help, I’ll wake up Skeppy again.” Bad smiles, pushing up his glasses as he pulls out a small bag of sugar out of their pantry.  
“I’m awake,” Skeppy mumbles, walking into the kitchen and kissing Bad, still half asleep. Bad laughs. “Sure you are.” He lets Skeppy sit on the island as he collects the ingredients, stopping to let Skeppy kiss him every now and then.  
Dream and George sit on the couch, made of soft cloth that Techno brought back and Skeppy fixed up. Dream sits with his back to the arm of the couch, George sitting in his lap, facing him, knees on either side of his hips and his arms locked around Dream’s neck. His face is tucked into Dream’s neck, Dream rubbing up and down George’s back, his world steadying with George’s breath.   
“Where’s Techno?” Dream asks, tracing the bumps of George’s spine.   
“He went out to steal some of the stuff for today’s meals, and he came back about an hour ago. I think he’s taking a shower right now,” Bad replies. “He didn’t want to wake you up. And I don’t think there are any plans for today. Once Skeppy wakes up all the way, he might have something he wants the two of you to test out today.”  
“I’m awake!” Skeppy half-yells. Bad smiles and kisses Skeppy again, Dream dramatically rolling his eyes.  
“I swear you two can’t go two seconds without a kiss,” he teases. Skeppy flips him off, quickly putting his hand back at his waist before Bad opens his eyes. They look at each other, so totally wrapped up in each other’s eyes. Dream’s heart melts and then smashes to itself to smithereens and repairs itself as he looks at George.   
He takes George’s jaw in his hand and kisses him roughly, stopping when Techno walks in and clears his throat, looking uncomfortably at the couples making out in the kitchen and on the couch.  
“Good morning,” Bad says after a moment of awkward silence. “I started breakfast.”  
“I can see. You’re also about to put Skeppy’s ass in a bowl of batter.”  
“Language,” Bad mutters, pulling Skeppy’s waist forward off the counter so he’s standing again. His arm slips around Bad’s shoulders and he kisses his cheek. George pulls back uncomfortably, Techno shooting him a glare. He instinctively flinches into Dream’s chest. Techno looks guilty for a second but George doesn’t see it.  
“You okay, baby?” Dream asks quietly, wrapping his arms protectively around George and kissing his forehead gently. He receives a whimper of sorts in response.  
“You’re okay,” Dream says, glaring at Techno. “Be nice,” he mouths angrily. Techno looks guilty, quickly turning to Bad and Skeppy to strike up a conversation. Bad talks airily about what he’s making, an old recipe he found in one of the illegal books Techno stole for him from the boxes for destruction in the archives. Something called pancakes, with eggs prepared in a way they’ve never seen and thick-sliced toast. Dream’s mouth waters from the smell.   
“What is that?” George asks quietly, practically drooling.   
“Bad got a book of recipes from the Old World a few days ago. He’s trying some new stuff out.”  
“It smells amazing,” George says, looking over toward the kitchen. He meets Techno’s eyes and flinches again, burying his face into Dream’s chest.  
“Hey, hey, you’re okay.” Dream shoots a nasty glare toward Techno, mouthing ‘You scared him.’ He wraps his arms around George again, whispering reassuringly and glaring at Techno some more.   
“George, come with me for a second,” Dream says quietly. He takes George’s hand and gently leads him to his room.  
“Are you okay?” Dream asks, pulling him to sit on their bed.   
“I’m okay,” George sighs, pulling his knees up and letting them rest on Dream’s lap. “I’m just. I don’t think Technoblade is exactly my biggest fan. And I’m just anxious and scared and I-” his voice breaks here, and Dream slides him onto his lap and holds him.  
“Dream, I’m so scared,” he chokes out. “I gave up everything to come here. And I don’t know if I’m ever going to see my family again. Or if I want to. The only thing I know is I love you. And that’s scary.” He hiccups again. “I went from being a hunter with all the information to the people I’ve been taught I should be hunting and k-killing.” Tears leak out of his eyes and Dream’s heart aches, arms tightening around the smaller man.  
“Shh, don’t cry, baby,” he says helplessly. “It’s okay. You’re okay, I promise.”  
“You can’t promise that,” George sobs, his hand grasping the fabric of Dream’s shirt. “You can’t.”  
“Yeah, I can,” Dream says. “We’re safe. And Techno doesn’t trust anyone immediately, okay? We’ll get there. It’ll take a little time, but you belong here as much as any of us.”  
“Do I?”  
“Yeah. You’re mine.” He hadn’t meant it to sound so possessive, but it seems to reassure George, his body relaxing a little more.  
“I’m gonna have a quick word with Techno. I love you,” he says quietly, kissing George goodbye. George stretches and lies back on the bed, a thousand things running through his mind as the boy who just claimed him as his goes to give the man who spooked him a little talk.  
“Techno,” Dream calls, closing the door gently.   
“Yeah,” Techno calls back, looking at him as he walks back into the room. He’s wearing gray pants, the top few buttons of his white shirt undone. He’s lounging on the barstool with a plate, Skeppy making eggs and Bad working on pancakes, a stack of them already on a plate.  
“Come with me. We need to talk.”  
He mumbles in protest, pointing toward his well-stocked plate, but Dream’s gaze hardens and he follows him, setting down the plate like it’s treacherous.   
“You need to be nice to George,” Dream says. “You scared him. I want him to feel welcome here, okay?”  
“I have no re-” Dream shushes him here, and keeps going as Techno indignantly looks at him. “I know you don’t trust him. But I do. I love him with every inch of my heart, Techno, and I know you have always stood up for what’s right. Why are you so hesitant about this?”  
Techno looks at his feet, fidgeting with the cuffs of his shirt.   
“I don’t want you to get hurt again.”  
Silence stretches between them for a second before Dream says, “He’s not going to hurt me. He loves me, Techno.”  
“Any idiot can see you love each other,” Techno says. “But he still hurt you last time. And I don’t want you to get hurt again.”  
“Aww, Techno!” Dream dramatically claps a hand over his heart. “You do care!”  
“Shut up,” Techno hisses, then regains his composure. “It’s depressing, watching you mope around the bunker and hearing you cry every night. He makes you smile. You don’t need to be emotionally attached to not want to hear your roommate sob every night.” He clears his throat. “I’ll be nice when he proves he’s not going to hurt you.” He turns around and walks back to the main room, picking up his plate and resuming eating.   
Dream goes back to his room, where George lies out on his bed, one hand lying below his stomach. Dream plops himself down next to George and slips his arm around George’s waist, kissing the side of his neck. George shifts to kiss him back, slipping his leg over Dream’s hip to climb on top of him, something tugging deep in Dream’s stomach as they kiss, George’s hands sliding into his hair. George’s face is hot, Dream’s lighting up in a blush as George’s cool hands wander his skin.  
“Oh, George-” Dream is making a struggling noise when the door bursts open.  
“You better not be falling asleep- oh!” Bad shrieks in surprise. Skeppy erupts into laughter behind his surprised boyfriend, wheezing out “I told you!”  
George becomes the approximate color of a tomato, climbing hastily off Dream, who’s laughing under his breath.   
“Um. Breakfast is ready,” Bad stammers, nearly falling over himself to get out of there, his highly amused boyfriend nearly crying with laughter trailing him. George tries to refuse leaving for embarrassment, claiming he’s not that hungry, but Dream scoops him up and carries him to the living room. He yelps in annoyance, raining down small hits against Dream’s chest, but they bounce off and Dream is unaffected.  
It’s an adorable sight there. Your run-of-the-mill adopted family- a famed anarchist, and two disgustingly cute couples falling over each other. Bad blushes and Skeppy laughs, tugging him into a short kiss when he begins to pout at how long he’s been laughed at. George attempts to escape Dream’s arms, failing every time.  
They sit down at the table, Techno at the head, Skeppy and Bad to his left and Dream and George to his right. Bad serves them their breakfast, still red-faced. George stammers out compliments into awkward silence.  
“These are incredible,” he says quietly, taking a second bite of the pancakes.  
“Thank you,” Bad says, regaining his composure. “They have a lot of ingredients that are a little harder for Dream and Techno to get, but they got two huge barrels of flour last week so I’m trying some more baking stuff.  
Skeppy excitedly says something that sounds like “Awe you gonna mawe the muffes?” and everyone looks at him in confusion.  
“Don’t talk with your mouth full!” Bad scolds. “And yes, I’m going to make the muffins this afternoon. George, you’re helping me.”  
“I- I am?”  
“Yup! Dream and Techno will be training or going out for a supply run, Skeppy spends all day in his lab, and I bake and take care of the bunker. And as I’m the only one who needs an extra set of hands, I’m teaching you how to bake!” He smiles cheerily, taking a neat bite of eggs compared to his boyfriend, whose goal appears to be shoving as much food as possible into his mouth as quickly as possible, Bad occasionally scolding his table manners.  
“So George,” Techno says. George’s eyes fill with fear and Dream takes his hand, squeezing it and casting Techno a warning glance.  
“Relax, Dream. I just want to know if George has anything that will be useful to our supply runs. We haven’t gotten too far into actually taking down the government as of late, and a high level hunter like George could help our efforts. That is, if he’s actually on our side.”  
“Of course he is-” Dream starts angrily, but George places his hand on Dream’s arm to stop him.   
“I am on your side. And I can help.”  
George starts talking, his voice shaking at the beginning but steadying as he continues, pointing out spots and routes on maps of the sectors that Techno pulls out, lists of officials and prisoners that could be swayed or easily assassinated, marking them with red, yellow, or green ink. Skeppy gets invested, talking about weapon prototypes and things he could design for this and that escape route.  
Techno appears satisfied, thanking George and giving him a look of approval. George beams at Dream with pride and Dream smiles right back, tightening his grip on George’s hand.   
This is when the planning starts.  
“Okay,” Techno says, placing his plate on the counter and smoothing out the maps in front of them. Bad takes the finished plates, and begins to wash them at the sink. Documents and maps are spread on the table, and the work starts.  
“So,” Techno says, “George says there’s a hidden storage in the basement here that most everyone forgot about. Along here-” he traces an empty spot of paper on a map of the sewers, “is a tunnel that goes directly into that basement, hidden in the wall. Dream and I will go test that out today. Skeppy finished something yesterday that should mask us on all heat cameras and automatically loop footage on any normal cameras. If all goes wrong somehow, we can either go back the way we came or escape through the building, as there’s a sewer entrance right outside the hidden tunnel anyway. Skeppy will be back here working on weapons to give the anarchists in Old Canada to get them to reach out to other groups for a meeting this weekend, along with surveillance and a defense system in the unlikely event someone finds the bunker. If George’s information proves true today, then he’ll come with us as Dream’s partner to the meeting. Bad and Skeppy will also attend, Bad with food and Skeppy with blueprints and the weapons. We’ll lock down the bunker while gone and bring the surveillance monitors.. Bad and George will be making food today, just for us but if the run goes well today then him and Bad will start on the food for this weekend. Everyone ready?”  
“Let’s get ready,” Dream says, standing up. He goes to his room, George following him. Techno goes to his own room, and Skeppy turns at the end of the hall, assumedly on the way to his lab.  
George watches Dream dress to go on the supply run, wearing slim-fit black pants and combat boots, and pulling a tunic-like garment over a fitted white tank-top type thing.   
“Why are you wearing a dress?” George asks, smirking.  
“It’s one of Skeppy’s creations. It’s as good as armor when something hits it, but it’s flexible enough for how me and Techno move.” He pulls the hood over his head and starts to attach small knives and something akin to a crossbow to his belt.   
“Hey, Dream?” Skeppy calls, knocking at the door.  
“Come in,” Dream says, sighing as he realizes he has no mask.  
“I worked on this for most of last night,” Skeppy says, holding out a box. Dream opens it and sees his trademark smile mask.  
“This one’s made of lightweight metal. It shouldn’t get too hot or too cold. It has some cool vision settings for you to play around with. I hope you like it,” he says, and slips out.  
“Thank you,” Dream calls, turning it over in his hands.  
“You’re gonna be okay, right?” George says hollowly, taking Dream’s hand.  
“George, are you worried about me?” Dream says, laughing quietly. He stops as he sees the anxious, serious expression on George’s face.  
“George, please don’t worry about me.” He kisses George’s forehead. “I’ll be back this afternoon. I love you, okay?”  
“I love you,” George whispers, and he quickly hugs Dream, burying his face in Dream’s chest and locking his arms around his waist.  
“George, come on. You’re okay.”  
“I’m scared,” George blurts out, his voice shaking more than it should. “I know that my information is true. But what- what if something goes wrong?” His voice breaks and he squeezes Dream to him. He wants to beg for Dream to stay, just stay here in this room with him and lie in his arms until the world itself ends. But he doesn’t, he lets Dream go and follows him as he walks back to the living room and kisses him goodbye like it’ll be the last kiss they ever have.  
“I’ll be fine, George,” Dream promises. “I always have been.” He kisses George softly, cupping his face and stroking George’s cheekbone, painting it a Venetian red of anxiety and love.  
George watches him go, something restless and heavy settling in his stomach.

“He’s going to be fine,” Bad says reassuringly. “Would you like a hug?”  
George nods meekly and Bad gives him a hug, George temporarily comforted.  
“S-so what are we doing? What do you do all day while they’re out on supply runs?” George asks, fiddling with his shirt hem.  
“Well, I make food. I design posters and stuff. There’s a printing section in Skeppy’s lab, so I do that when I’m not making food. Come on, I’ll show you around.”   
Bad leads George down the hall and turns the corner, opening the door to Skeppy’s lab.  
“Hello,” Skeppy says cheerily. “Need something?”  
“Just showing him around,” Bad smiles, leaning up to kiss Skeppy quickly and smiling in pure adoration. Skeppy slides his arm around Bad’s waist, looking down with a soft, heart-melting smile.  
George follows them around, listening as Bad talks about printing presses, posters and graffiti. Skeppy slips out after a few minutes with cameras and a lot of wires, saying something about surveillance.   
Bad pulls out maps, describes in detail the countries and groups hinted at by Techno earlier. He talks about the Old Countries, how the government was losing money, power, influence. Anarchists struck in the middle of war, and then were killed and overthrown for a new Republic, with less than a quarter of the population left, the world scorched or frozen or sick.   
Techno’s parents were anarchists, Bad explains. He was just a kid when they were executed. He’d always had a flair for the escape. He was supposed to be shot right next to them, but he ran at the last moment, throwing a bomb down in the square, running from everything he’d ever known. He was along for the ride then, but now he had to operate their rebellion alone. He’d had a chosen family of sorts, he says, a teenager not much older who took him in and then a couple young kids they took care of together. Techno doesn’t like to talk about them, he explains.   
Skeppy and him were the first rescue, he says, and they won’t be the last. Trials for homosexuality where the people can be rescued are rare, and most people don’t get caught for a long time, and often escape the city and join groups far, far away. Catch and release, he says.  
George sits silently and takes it all in.  
“Alright, enough with the history lessons,” Bad smiles. “I’m teaching you how to make muffins.”  
They go to the kitchen and Bad tells him which ingredients to pull out, and tells him about how Techno steals ingredients, pulling out soft white-yellow sticks of soft butter and plump, blue- purple berries.  
“Where does he get all this food?” George wonders aloud, carrying a stick of butter like it’s made of gold.  
“Rich people’s basements!” Bad smiles. “Techno takes some of it for us, and then delivers meal packages to the people in the poor sectors. People hoard food and it often goes to waste, so Dream and Techno steal huge amounts of food and we make packages with anything we don’t need and deliver them.”  
Skeppy comes in then, and hands Bad a monitor and one of two small pieces of metal. He puts one in his ear, Bad following his example.  
“They’re linked. Tell me if the feed shows up.” Skeppy kisses Bad on the cheek and goes back out the door, Bad smiling after him.  
Bad shows George how to make muffins, giving him streusel ingredients and having him wash berries and soften butter.  
“Good job!” Bad smiles as he slides the muffin tins into the old, menacingly large oven. “You are officially almost done. Now. Has anyone taught you how to wash dishes?”  
George decides that this is his least favorite part. It’s surprisingly difficult.  
“How is there running water here?” he asks, scrubbing out the streusel bowl.  
“Skeppy diverted the water supply here. No one ever checks, so we get water from the same purifying plant as the rest of the city.” Bad sprays the counter with something from a bottle, scrubbing with a rag until it’s shiny again. The kitchen is in good shape by the time the muffins come out of the oven, smelling like heaven.  
“Finally finished!” Skeppy says brightly, coming back in and sitting down at the counter. “Ooh, muffins!” He reaches for one and Bad slaps his hand away.  
“You’ll burn yourself!” he chides, quickly taking out the muffins with tongs and fending Skeppy’s attempts off.  
“What are those?” George asks, nodding at the small pellets in the bottom of the muffin tin.  
“Rice! It absorbs the grease, and doesn’t make the bottom of the muffin browned.”   
Skeppy steals a muffin while Bad isn’t looking, and lets out a content hum at the victory.   
“Skeppy!” Bad yells, lunging for the muffin. It’s surprisingly late in the day, George wonders when Dream and Techno will be back. Skeppy cackles and runs away from his laughing boyfriend, the two of them running circles around the living room. Bad tackles him onto the couch and takes back the muffin, yelling “I told you not yet! You could have burned yourself!”  
“But I didn’t!” Skeppy says, mouth still full. He yanks back Bad by his hips, him yelping in indignance. He swallows the enormous bite of muffin, kissing Bad.   
“Ew, Skeppy, you’ve got muffin all over your face-” Bad complains.  
“They’re your muffins, Badboyhalo,” Skeppy laughs, but lets Bad wipe crumbs off his face.  
“Is that what Bad is short for?” George asks, taking a muffin for himself. Bad glares playfully and relaxes into Skeppy’s lap. “Yep! It was some silly little nickname, but everyone just started calling me Bad.”   
“How long until Dream gets home?” George says anxiously, eyes slipping to the clock on the wall.  
“Probably not too long,” Bad says, frowning at George, who looks anxious and like he misses Dream. “Are you okay?”  
“I miss him,” George admits. He yawns and tries to cover it up, but his body language screams that he’s tired, emotionally and physically. Anyone could see he misses Dream.   
“I’m gonna go lay down,” George says eventually, disappearing into Dream’s room before the two can protest. They hear the door click softly shut and Bad sighs, settling back into Skeppy’s lap as he realizes he probably won’t see George until Dream comes back.  
“You okay?” Skeppy asks gently, lying back and letting Bad relax against his chest. He closes his arms around Bad’s torso, absentmindedly rubbing circles on his chest.   
“I’m okay,” Bad sighs, staring into the distance. “I’m just worried about George. I know Dream had to leave, but they’ve just been apart for so long. I hope they’ll be okay.”   
“They’re gonna be okay,” Skeppy promises. “They had to go. But they love each other. Which is going to be enough, okay? They’re gonna be fine!” He kisses Bad’s cheek and they both smile, Skeppy mischievously.   
“We’ve got some alone time,” Skeppy smirks, kissing Bad’s neck. They fumble and kiss, Skeppy taking his wrists and pressing them to the couch cushions, moving quietly so as not to disturb George. Bad smiles at the ceiling as Skeppy’s hands touch his waist, kissing up his neck. Bad idly thinks it’s getting late, he should probably start dinner, but what Skeppy’s doing makes him never want to move off this couch.   
Skeppy slips a deliberate knee between Bad’s, propping himself on his forearms on either side of his head. Bad hooks a leg over Skeppy’s hip, pulling the two of them flush against each other, every inch burning with the other’s light.  
“You make me happier than anything else in the world,” Bad gasps.   
You are everything, Skeppy thinks, and lives for the smile on Bad’s face when he says it aloud.  
He starts to think about taking Bad back to their room, and tugs him up to do just that, when the door slams open and Techno hobbles through, pushing it shut behind him. George is out in the hall in a flash, wearing Dream’s crumpled shirt, it’s huge on him and he grips the hem, eyes red and expression hopeful. Tears still stain his face.  
“We got caught by a patrol,” Techno pants. “They changed the schedule. Dream got- Dream was taken.”   
Techno and George pass out at the same time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GOD I worked so hard on this TAKE IT!!! This chapter takes up half of the doc I’m writing this on and I am writing this half asleep I hope you enjoy.  
> I’ve been thinking a lot about chosen families and stuff and put some of that in. Oh sweet lord I have been doing so much writing. This is so much longer than I usually make chapters hhhhhh

Bad is up in a flash, yelling for Skeppy to cover the table and pull out the first aid kit. He carries Techno to the table, blood already covering the front of his shirt. He quickly removes the cloak and mask, revealing a bloody face, pink hair red, and a shot buried in Techno’s side.. He opens the shirt, revealing the wound. Skeppy winces, looking away.  
“Take George and put him on his bed. I’ve got Techno for now.”   
Skeppy carries George to the bed, shaking him awake. He cries and cries, shrinking into Dream’s massive shirt, hugging the pillow to his chest.  
“You’re okay, you’re okay,” Skeppy says helplessly, quickly ducking out when George throws a book at his head. He reappears next to Bad.  
“Babe, make sure George is okay please,” Bad says tersely, taking out a roll of bandages. Bad somehow already took out the bullet, and skillfully wraps the bandage around his ribs. “This crazy idiot took a shot to the ribs, somehow managed to not get it between them. He’s lost a lot of blood. I’ve got it, just make sure George is okay.”  
“He’s awake enough to throw books at my head,” Skeppy says. “I think he just needs to be alone.” Skeppy sighs. “Do you think he’ll be okay?”  
Bad sighs. “Honestly, no. I don’t think he’ll be okay. Unless we get Dream back, I don’t think he’s going to be okay. Which is why we have to get Dream back.”  
Bad’s face sets into a determined expression as he makes sure Techno stays passed out through the pain, wrapping a sprained ankle and cleaning the blood out of his hair, revealing a nasty scrape from his forehead to above his ear. His knees are skinned, clothes ripped.  
“How did he make it home?” Skeppy wonders, as Bad bandages a cut on his arm. Skeppy packs up all the gear, taking it away and clearing the table.   
“I’ve got it from here,” Skeppy says when Bad yawns and leans against the table for support. The bags under his eyes are evident, and he smells like blood and hydrogen peroxide.   
“I’m fine,” he says, but his whole weight sags into Skeppy the second he slips an arm around his hips.  
“Come on. Go get some rest. I’ll finish- all that’s left is his shoulder and the scrape above his ear, and you already stopped the bleeding. I’ll finish and get him to bed. Go to sleep.”  
Bad presses a grateful kiss to Skeppy’s mouth and pads down the hallway, closing the door of their bedroom. He takes clothes, unsure if they’re his or Skeppy’s, and gets in the shower until all he can smell is their soap.  
He collapses into bed, shorts that are probably his boyfriend’s clean, dry and soft sheets from the shipment Techno raided and divided several months ago warm against his skin. Skeppy comes in as he’s about to drift off, and Bad listens to the quiet sound of the shower until Skeppy slides in next to him.  
They fall asleep like they do every night, Bad snuggled into Skeppy’s arms, breath warm against his neck and Skeppy’s arm reassuringly heavy on his side.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
They wake up in the morning, Bad’s skin warm against Skeppy’s chest. Their legs are tangled up, and they are both so grateful for the other, for the fact that no matter what any day holds, they can wake up like this.  
The alarm beeps insistently, beckoning Bad out of bed to any of the responsibilities waiting for him outside their closed door. He leans over Skeppy to pick it up and throw it against the wall.   
“Hey, no breaking the alarm,” Skeppy says, not opening his eyes. Bad snuggles into his chest, tugging Skeppy’s waist closer. “I don’t wanna get up,” Bad groans, slipping his leg over Skeppy’s hip.  
“Come on, baby, we have things to do. We need to make sure George made it through the night okay, and make sure Techno’s wounds aren’t infected, and try to get Dream back-”  
“Nope. I’m sleeping in. And you’re staying with me.” He rolls half on top of Skeppy and Skeppy slides out, babbling on about responsibilities that Bad couldn’t care less for. He pulls Skeppy back and grumbles, the words indistinct but the meaning clear.  
“Just a few minutes,” Skeppy relents, lying back down. Bad hums in contentment, tightening his arms around Skeppy’s waist.   
Skeppy feels his boyfriend drift off, soft snores sounding from where Bad has his face turned into Skeppy’s shoulder, and he gently slips out of his grasp, tucking the covers around him. Bad stirs but doesn’t wake up, tugging Skeppy’s pillow to his chest. Skeppy’s heart melts for the thousandth time.   
He pulls on a shirt, walking out to check on George. The room is a wreck, things obviously having been thrown around and him nestled in the center of it all, wearing a t-shirt that’s pretty obviously Dream’s with a tearstained pillow hugged tightly to his chest.  
Skeppy decides to leave George and go check on Techno. He picks up the first aid kit, sighing and knocking gently on the door. He made the mistake of not doing that once and ended up with Techno’s axe about to split his head in half. He walks in after not hearing a response, assuming he’s asleep, and is immediately knocked to the ground by Techno who was apparently perching on the doorframe. He bounces up, shakes out his ankle and says “Doesn’t seem too bad.”   
“Techno, you shouldn’t even be walking!”  
“I can move, can’t I?” He jumps around, and Skeppy winces. “Doesn’t that hurt like- all of you?”  
“Not really.”  
“Techno, your head is literally bleeding and your ankle is sprained! Sit down, you crazy muffin,” Skeppy hears himself saying, barely registering the Bad-ism passing his lips. Techno rolls his eyes and flops dramatically to the bed. Skeppy sees a picture frame on the table he doesn’t recognize, and picks it up.  
He sees four people, a twenty-something year old he doesn’t recognize with his arm around Techno’s shoulders, a boy who looks to be a young teen in odd, color-block black and white clothes with blondish hair exploding from his head and another boy in green with similar dirty blond hair in front of them. It looks like a family portrait, almost. The man has a green-white sun hat type thing, and Techno’s wearing his usual ensemble- but smiling in a way Skeppy’s unsure if he’s ever seen, mask in his hand.  
“Give me that,” Techno says angrily, yanking the frame out of Skeppy’s hand and to his chest. “I changed the bandages myself this morning. No infection, and the ankle’s fine. Get out.”  
Skeppy leaves, shocked at the anger and grief in Techno’s voice, pausing abruptly in the hall when he hears something that sounds frighteningly like a sob echo from behind the door.  
Technoblade never cries.  
He goes back to check on Bad, realizing it’s probably very unlikely anything gets done today, and when he kisses Bad’s forehead he realizes it’s burning up.  
“Skeppy, it’s so hot,” Bad whines, tossing and turning. Skeppy pulls down the covers, he can feel the heat radiating off Bad’s skin.   
“Baby, are you okay?” Skeppy asks, pressing the back of his hand to his neck.   
“I d’wanna mnhhhh” Bad says, which are assumedly supposed to be words, but Skeppy has no idea what they are. Bad reaches out, whining and mumbling pathetically, arms open as if he’s asking to be picked up. Skeppy sits down, letting Bad wrap his arms around him and mumble complaints into the fabric of his shirt. He climbs into Skeppy’s lap, obviously miserable but taking some kind of solace in his arms.   
“You’re okay,” Skeppy says. “What’s going on?”  
“It’s so hot,” Bad mumbles. “And I’m so tired. I just- Stay,” Bad begs. “Please?”  
Skeppy’s still unsure what’s going on but he reassures Bad, rubbing a hand up and down his back. His skin is hot, and Skeppy takes a few seconds to grab medicine off the bedside table that’s meant to take down one’s temperature, left over from Skeppy’s spell of sickness a few days ago.   
“I bet you caught what I had,” Skeppy says sympathetically, and tolerates Bad’s whining for a few seconds while he wets a cloth for his forehead. He lays it out gently, sitting against the headboard with Bad’s head in his lap, gently stroking the hair away from his forehead.   
“I love you, Skeppy,” Bad says quietly, looking sick and sweaty but very, very in love.  
“I love you, Bad,” Skeppy says back, leaning down to kiss the tip of his nose. He blushes and smiles, his face scrunching and a grin spreading across his face.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
“So you’re the famous Dream,” says the woman with a clipboard, looking at Dream, tied up with his hands behind his back.   
He stays silent.  
“You’re charged with a record-breaking amounts of thefts and arson, the kidnapping and harassment of a George Davidson, blatant homosexuality, conspiring with dangerous criminals, and evading arrest and a rightful consequence. I should kill you right here.”   
He stays silent.  
“I might be convinced to make it quick if you tell me what you did with Mr. Davidson, and where you and that filthy anarchist have been hiding out.”  
He stays silent.  
She takes out a knife. He does his best not to let any expression cross his face.  
It flashes toward his face, the hilt striking him across the jaw. He feels blood spread across his tongue. His vision darkens.  
“One last chance,” the woman hisses. She turns the knife around in her hand.  
He stays silent.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Skeppy pushes the anxiety down into his stomach, focusing on the cute boy in his lap. Who is now bolting out of his lap to throw up in their bathroom.   
He sits next to Bad, rubbing his back. “Breathe, baby, breathe.” He gives him a glass of water, standing with him at the sink, gently wiping off his neck and chest with a cloth. He brushes his teeth and the fan clicks on, the bad smell whisked out of the room. Skeppy’s hand settles in the small of his boyfriend’s back.   
“Feeling better?” he asks quietly as Bad shuts off the sink.  
“Yeah. Sorry,” he says sheepishly, and Skeppy assures him it’s okay. Bad’s weight falls into him, his arms a familiar sense around Skeppy’s neck. He easily picks Bad up, carrying him to the bed and flopping backwards so Bad lies on top of him, knees tucked up to be on either side of his hips. He rests there peacefully, Skeppy realizing too late he will not be released.  
Techno rudely barges in, widening his eyes at Bad’s shirtless and on-top-of Skeppy stance.  
“Something you’d like to share?” Bad says idly, and Skeppy unceremoniously shoves him off.  
“Bad’s sick,” he apologizes, tightening his arms around his waist. “What’s up?”  
“It’s time to plan,” Techno grins, and walks out the door.  
Skeppy kisses Bad’s cheek. “You can rest, okay? I’ll work.”   
“Stay,” Bad whines. “Please?”  
“No,” Skeppy says sternly. “I have to work. But I’ll be back soon, love.”   
Bad whines but Skeppy leaves, walking quickly down the hall. Techno is standing in George's doorway. A book flies past his head, thudding into the wall.   
“Get the fu-” George doesn’t finish Skeppy yanks Techno out of the doorway, which slams moments later. He hears an angry scream from behind the door and winces.  
“He can’t stay in there forever,” Techno says angrily.   
“He can stay for a little while. He just lost his boyfriend. And of course we’ll get him back, but he’d only just reunited. Leave him alone for a little while.”   
Techno sighs. “Meet me in your lab. We’ll plan by ourselves.” He shoots a nasty glare toward the door and stalks to the lab.   
Skeppy sighs and toys with poking his head in to check on George, figuring he’ll be less likely to have a book thrown at his head, but decides to wait. He follows Techno to the lab, where he’s already carefully cleared a table.   
“Okay. They’re probably holding him in the main jail. When George gets out of bed, the two of us will go there. You made a bomb that will disable guns with some kinda shock wave, right? We’ll use that, and a chalk bomb. Same thing we used to get Dream the first time. We’ll disable all the guns and I’ll hold a sentry at knifepoint. He’s a dangerous enough enemy that they’re probably keeping him in the maximum security suite, but I’ve broken out of there once before. The bomb should deactivate those controls too, right?”  
“I mean. I can modify it?” He picks up the metal shell and turns it over in his hands, disconnecting a wire and pulling out a few parts. “It’s just geared toward the kind of charge that triggers the- Never mind,” he sighs, catching Techno’s disinterested expression. “Go on.”  
“So we’ll memorize the layout, and get into the cell. When-”  
George knocks on the door, standing barefoot with red-rimmed eyes in Dream’s t-shirt, a pillow hugged to his chest like it’s his last link to his boyfriend.   
“So are we going to do this or what?”  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
“Techno, I really don’t think you should be going out. Let me and George go-”  
“Absolutely not. You’re too valuable. You can’t get caught, you’re staying here with Bad and that’s final.”  
George, Techno, and Skeppy are standing next to the sewer entrance, Techno and George fully suited up. George is wearing slim purplish pants and a blue shirt, a knife tucked at his belt. Goggles that Skeppy fixed up overnight are perched up on his forehead- they should help his eyes not get hurt by the dust bombs, and if he did it right- see farther through the dust. His outfit is simple, the boots he came in with recently cleaned and patched up.  
“Let’s go,” George says, expression hardening. George and Techno heave open the entrance, the grate swinging open.  
“You could die,” Skeppy says, more shaking in his voice than he intended.  
“Technoblade never dies,” Techno responds, and the gate rings shut.  
Bad pokes his head out and pulls Skeppy back in, sliding the camouflaged door back into place.  
“They’re gonna be okay, baby,” he reassures Skeppy.  
“Go back to bed. You need rest,” Skeppy diverts.  
“Don’t be a muffinhead. I’m fine.”  
Skeppy swoops him up, yelping, carrying him to their bedroom. “I said don’t be a muffinhead! Come on, I’m-” He erupts into hacking coughs, which sends a frown across Skeppy’s face. He wheezes for breath, and Skeppy holds him, grasping a glass of water that Bad gulps down as his breath is lost. His hands are shaky, and he blinks like he’s trying to blink something out of his eyes.   
Something is wrong. Panic grips Skeppy’s sternum, twining in frantic beats around his bones as he realizes something is very wrong as Bad drops the emptied glass and slumps down to the covers. Weak breaths pass his lips, coughs echoing even in his unconscious state. His skin is still burning.  
Skeppy vaguely remembers liquid medicine, runs to get it from the cabinet with shaky hands. He prays, to what he’s unsure, that his boyfriend is okay.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Techno limps in front of George, yet somehow is moving faster. “Hurry up,” he snips. George speeds up, following quickly behind him.  
“Look,” Techno says. “Are you… okay?”  
“Am I what?” George asks, shocked at Techno’s apparent concern.  
“You, uh. Threw a book at me. That takes either some serious nerve or some serious anger and sadness. So. Are you okay.”  
“I’m… fine as I can be,” George says after a moment. “I’d… I’d only just reunited with the love of my life after I’d been forced to betray him. And then he got taken. And you know, I was freaking out. Still kind of am. I thought, you know, I’d had less than 24 hours with him and he was gone again. I thought I’d have to get over him all over again.” He looks at his shoes. “Sorry. That’s- Sorry.”  
“No, I get it. I’ve lost people that- I’ve lost people that I loved the way that you love each other in every single glance.”  
“Who?” George hears himself asking. “Sorry. You don’t have to-”  
“No, it’s okay.” Techno heaves the axe onto his shoulder, from where he was carrying it by his side for a bit. “I lost my birth family when I was just a kid. I was thirteen. It was a miracle I escaped. I was running for two days, and then I was found by an older teen who rescued me. We spent a long time together and found a couple of orphans to take care of. Two children, both whose parents were killed. We took care of them together- the two of us did our best to be parents to the kids. We did- We did everything we could. But one night where they were- One of them got sick. I went and got medicine. When I came back all of them were lying in the street. I ran toward them and then they were shot. I ran and ran, and I promised myself I wouldn’t ever let the people I swore to take care of get another scratch. I was ready to kill you right there in the alley, you know,” Techno says. “When I realized you were the one who hurt Dream. But what’s more important than past mistakes is the fact that Dream loves you. And if he trusts you, then you’re part of our family.”  
“Family?”  
“What’s powerful about family isn’t blood. I don’t share a drop of blood with any of them, nor most of the people I would give my life to protect, or who gave their lives to protect me. What gives it power is the choice to stay with someone, some people, and the spoken- or unspoken- knowledge that you would lay down your life for them. Whether that’s dying to protect them or offering up your future so that your life revolves around them evermore. That’s what makes family your family. Not an arbitrary chance that you were born where you were. The conscious decision to give them your life, one way or another. And yes. If that’s the way Dream feels about you, then I will be glad to call you part of our chosen family.”  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
“Wake up,” Skeppy begs. “Wake up, you’re okay. Please,” he begs. “Wake up.”  
And thankfully, he does. He blinks awake and Skeppy cries.  
“Baby, what- Why are you crying?” Bad sits up, breath still wheezy and unsteady.  
“I- You scared me,” Skeppy blurts, trying to recover. Bad pulls him close with arms that feel fragile and far too human. Far too breakable.  
“Did you think I was going to die? You silly muffin, I just got a little lightheaded. I couldn’t have been out for more than thirty seconds. You know how this virus works- it saps all your energy. Grab me a muffin. I’m okay, I swear.”  
Skeppy reluctantly moves out of his arms and moves as fast as he can to get the muffin and a glass of water. He returns to Bad, who’s a pale figure nestled in the bed. He’s pulled on a shirt, a soft gray thing that Skeppy is 90% sure is his.   
“Finally,” Bad says with an exaggerated eye roll. “I think that’s the longest it’s ever taken anyone to get a muffin.”  
“Not true,” Skeppy says, sticking his tongue out at Bad. Bad snickers and takes a bite of the muffin.  
“Don’t be scared for me,” Bad says after a few minutes. “I’m okay.”  
Skeppy doesn’t respond, just lets Bad snuggle against his waist. He lies with his arm around Skeppy’s hips, face pressed into his side.  
“Eat your muffin. You need food.” He kisses his forehead. “I love you, muffinhead.”  
He grins up at Skeppy.  
“Muffinhead.” He takes a bite of the muffin and smiles.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
“We’re almost there,” Techno says. “Pull the goggles over your eyes.” He pulls his mask into place and tosses George a piece of cloth. “Pull this over your face and put the loops around your ears.” He does so, and Techno nods. All that’s left is a ladder up to a storm drain that’s behind the jail. The door is locked, but with Skeppy’s bomb they should be able to deactivate all the electric locks and weapons.  
“Is that why you use knives? To be able to use the kind of bomb Skeppy made?”  
“One of the reasons, yeah. But they’re just- Well, Skeppy makes guns, too, but I’m better with knives. They’re faster and take less upkeep. Just more efficient.” He pulls a pair from his belt, long things with bright blue-silver blades. “Plus, they’re prettier.” He smiles. “Let’s go.” He tucks them into his belt and jumps, leaving the hurt foot hanging in the air as he lands on the ladder with his hands and good foot. He climbs up, barely slowed down, hooking his elbow around the top rung and climbing up. He waits for George and one checking the street, heaves the cover out of the way, grunting with the strain.   
“Are you sure you’re-”  
“Fine, fine. Bad and Skeppy did a good job patching me up.” He jumps up and climbs through, George following him. Techno pulls a small ball that fits perfectly in his palm and walks along the alley, hurling it through a glass window after pressing a button. They hear a beep and then a high-pitched noise, and the door clicks open. Techno pulls something out of his cloak, something that looks vaguely like a bath bomb. The two of them walk in, a room full of guards pointing various weapons at them. They click uselessly and Techno throws the bath-bomb-things around, the room going up in dust. They sprint for the cells. Techno throws another round behind them, George looking frantically side to side.  
“At the end!” Techno shouts, pointing toward a figure slumped in a chair in a doorway with the door of thick metal hanging open. George runs toward Dream, desperately cutting off the ropes tied to his hands. Blood trickles out of his mouth, and his eye is swollen.   
“Wake up,” George says, a sob in his throat.   
Dream opens one of his eyes and lets out a smile, crooked and bloody. George picks up his much larger boyfriend and stumbles with the weight, steadying him on his shoulder. He sets off, moving at a slower pace as Techno covers their retreat.   
They disappear the way they came, Techno pulling the cover back and the two running through the network.   
Techno notices George’ labored breathing and decreasing pace. “Let me take him,” Techno says.  
“No.”  
That’s all that’s said until they get back, George determinately keeping up the pace. They finally make it back, George covered in a fine layer of sweat. Skeppy rushes up to catch Dream before George’s knees give out.  
“Where’s Bad?” Techno gasps, putting the door back into place.  
“Resting. And he will stay resting. He’s not doing so well.” Skeppy tentatively places Dream on his feet, where he sways and has Skeppy bear most of his weight.  
“M’okay- Ow-” Dream lets a hiss of pain.   
“George, go take a shower. You stink. I’ll take care of him.”   
George goes off to shower, and Skeppy takes out the medicine bag. He peeks into the open door of Skeppy and Bad’s room, where Bad is asleep, snoring softly with his glasses folded neatly on the bedside table.   
He hears Dream yell some profanities as he turns on the shower. Sweat and blood disappear, warm water creating a wall between George and the rest of the world.  
He barely stays in for two minutes, as peaceful as it is George would rather sit next to his boyfriend right now. He dresses quickly, thin cotton clinging to his still-damp skin as he hurries to where Skeppy is currently doing something that Dream is not a huge fan of, dabbing something at a nasty cut on his face. George walks over and takes Dream’s hand, buying Skeppy enough time.   
“Hey,” George says weakly, and Dream looks at him. He takes in his whole being with his eyes and just smiles, smiles with the pure joy of seeing George standing in front of him.  
“We’ll leave you two be,” Skeppy says hastily, yanking Techno down the hall. “Wh-”  
“You don’t smell good either,” Skeppy snips. He shoves Techno into his room and disappears into his own, the door clicking shut on the quiet hum of Bad’s voice.   
“I missed you, love,” Dream says quietly, tugging George to him by the hips. They settle into a hug, Dream’s hand tangling in George’s wet hair.  
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” George sobs into his neck. “It’s all my fault.”  
“What are you talking about?” Dream says, his voice rumbling against George’s chest.   
“I- I thought the tip was safe. I thought you’d be okay. But you weren’t,” he sobs. “And it’s all my fault.”  
“Baby, it’s not your fault.” Dream kisses his forehead, cupping George’s face in his hands. “They changed the patrols. You couldn’t have known that. And I’m alive, okay? I’m here.” He smiles and George breaks, sobbing into Dream’s shoulder.  
“I’m sorry,” he repeats, over and over. “I’m sorry.”  
“You’re okay,” Dream says, picking up his crying boyfriend effortlessly.  
“Aren’t you-” George lets out a pathetic sniffle, and Dream shakes his head. “I’m fine enough to carry you to our room.”   
George is unused to having something be theirs. Both of them are, really. Sharing something like that is strange and incredible, George thinks as Dream lays him down on the bed.   
The two of them lie there for a while, Dream’s arm a familiar weight draped over his stomach.  
The two press as close as possible, limbs tangled around each other. Dream’s hand slides up George’s waist, the soft but sharp inhale against his neck his whole entire world.  
He knows very few things in this moment. Two of them are that George’s skin is soft and that he never wants to spend a second without this man’s skin on his again.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Skeppy holds Bad on his lap, Bad sitting sideways with his head tucked into Skeppy’s neck. The two of them are silent as Bad drifts off, Skeppy shifting in increments until they’re lying down so as not to wake him.   
“I love you, muffinhead,” Bad whispers, eyes closed.  
“Go to sleep,” Skeppy whispers back, shifting out of Bad’s arms when he feels his breaths shift into sleeping ones. He walks to the kitchen, where Techno is sitting and eating some mashed potatoes out of a container.  
“Did you check on those two?” Techno asks, nodding towards Dream and George’s door.  
“No. Should I?”  
“No. I made the mistake of walking past. They’re up to something that I was looking to find a support group from overhearing.” Techno takes another bite of potatoes. “I would advise against going anywhere near there.”  
“Okay,” Skeppy winces. “Are you just eating plain- is there anything on that?”  
“No. It is plain mashed potatoes.” He takes another bite.  
“I’m going back to Bad.”  
“Byee!” He gleefully takes another bite of plain and evidently cold mashed potatoes.  
When Skeppy returns, Bad is sitting against the headboard, arms crossed angrily and glasses slipping down his nose.  
“Did you really think I wouldn’t notice?”  
“Uh-”  
“Nap with me, you muffinhead!” Bad yells, and his bottom lip sticks out in a pout. Skeppy falls to the bed, Bad yanking him by the front of his shirt. Skeppy kisses him, smirking at the surprised and reddened expression on his face.  
“You’re gonna get sick,” Bad sputters.  
“I’m immune! You’re the one who kept kissing me and got yourself sick-”  
“Don’t you even try to pin this on me-”  
Techno glances toward the hall, about halfway through his potatoes. He screws up his face at the various noises coming from the couple’s bedrooms. Disgustingly loud and very suspicious noises from one, loud but affectionate bickering from the other.   
Techno had never really fallen for anyone. He didn’t exactly lead a normal childhood or adolescence, and when you and your few friends’ very existence is illegal then you kind of stop caring about finding a romantic partner. He’d loved the people he spent his adolescence with, but he didn’t fall in love with Phil romantically. And the boys he took care of were like his children.   
He’s smart enough not to fall in love. Even watching his family fall for people so hard it makes you sick just watching them look at each other.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
“Quiet, they’re going to hear you,” Dream laughs against George’s neck.  
“Then stop.”  
“Okay.” Dream rolls away from George, who feels like he’s on fire.  
“No, no, wait come back,” George whines, stretching, Dream’s shorts loose on him and his shirt long cast away. Dream laughs and lets George cuddle into his side.   
“What time is it?” George asks, slipping his leg so the front of their hips are pressed together. Dream tries not to think about it too much.  
“S-sometime in the afternoon,” Dream says, heart racing. George shifts him onto his back and shifts until his leg and arm are over Dream. Dream’s senses are overwhelmed, the beautiful boy lying halfway on top of him everything he wants in this moment.  
“You’re so gorgeous,” Dream whispers, George’s face pressed into his collarbone. Dream feels him smile, the kind of wide, unstoppable smile that only a handful of special people can give you. The kind that only the people you want to spend forever with can give you.   
“Thank you, love,” George whispers back, Dream loving the way the words sound in his soft accent.  
Dream looks up and down George’s body, enjoying every soft and warm inch of it. Soft pink scrapes line George’s hips where Dream’s fingernails were minutes ago. His hands are slender and perfect, resting lightly on Dream’s chest.  
“God, you’re so beautiful,” Dream groans like it’s physically painful to him. He moves until they’re in the same position as before, Dream crouched over him with George’s head tilted back, Dream kissing up his throat. A delicious sound leaves George’s lips and Dream laughs quietly, a low, deep thing that hums against George’s neck and chest.  
“Enough already!” Techno yells. The two burst into laughter, and hear a similar amusement from Bad and Skeppy’s room. “I swear, if I hear another noise like that you’re sleeping on the couch, George!”  
“I told you you were being too loud,” Dream laughs against George’s neck, which George thinks may be one of the most beautiful things he’s ever experienced. He tilts his head back, tensing, reveling in the fiery, quietly observed stretch. Dream traces his fingers up George’s lean stomach, pausing on his sternum to kiss him again.  
“I’m gonna start dinner,” they hear Bad say in the hall.  
“Go to sleep, Bad. You need rest.”  
“I should go and start dinner so Bad doesn’t have to,” George comments. Dream hooks his fingers in George’s waistband. “Don’t go,” he begs.  
“Come with me, then,” George says, sitting up.   
“You can’t cook, Skeppy,” they hear Bad say.  
“I can,” George yells. “I’ll be right out!”  
“Noo,” Dream complains, tackling George to the bed. They roll around, George making his escape and grabbing a shirt, sticking his tongue out at Dream on the way out. He pulls it over his head in the hall. Dream lunges up and catches him, pressing a kiss to the back of his neck before releasing him and following him, still shirtless, to the kitchen.  
“Put a shirt on!” Techno yells, covering his eyes. “I’d like to keep my appetite!”  
George laughs and runs his hands up Dream’s back, pulling him close.   
“A shirt!”  
Dream goes back to get a shirt, and Techno sighs in exaggerated relief. Dream leans against the counter as George pulls out ingredients.   
“Let me cook!” Bad screeches, bolting for the kitchen. Skeppy sighs and easily scoops him up.  
“Chill! You have to rest,” Skeppy scrunches up his face at Bad. “Besides, if you’re breathing all over the food, you could get everyone else sick. You need to get better in time for the meeting with the Canadian anarchists. Come on,” he begs. “Bed.”  
“Fine,” Bad concedes, letting Skeppy carry him back without further protest.  
They lie down in their bed, Skeppy not at all unhappy that he doesn’t have to cook at all and can stay in bed with his boyfriend. He leans to shut it, the door clicking shut and settling the voices in the kitchen to a quiet hum. He flicks the lights off, the only source of light a string of lights pinned up on their wall. Bad takes off his glasses and puts them on the side table.  
He settles into bed, giving Bad a short, lingering kiss. Bad smiles into the air, then gently climbs on top of Skeppy and kisses him hard, slipping his tongue into his mouth and settling into a straddling position. They move with a frantic rhythm, Bad’s hands tangling in Skeppy’s hair, tugging his head back and kissing down his throat. Skeppy makes a noise that sends warmth coursing through Bad, Bad letting go of Skeppy for a matter of seconds to take his shirt off, leaving surprisingly muscled shoulders and arms completely bare, lean and pale in the kind of way that makes him look untouched.  
“You’re so fu-freaking beautiful,” Skeppy says quietly.  
“Language,” Bad whispers into Skeppy’s ear.  
“I think you need to get some rest,” Skeppy says quickly, heart stuttering. Bad feels it, sliding his fingertips under his shirt and over the muscle above Skeppy’s heart.   
“Okay,” he relents, snuggling into Skeppy’s side. His hand stays resting on his chest, shirt riding up around Bad’s wrist. Skeppy moves his arm around Bad’s shoulders, carefully positioning themselves until they’re face to face, wrapped in each other’s arms and legs.   
Bad drifts off after tucking his face into Skeppy’s neck, breath warm and hair soft against Skeppy’s face. 

Much later, George comes in to an awake Skeppy and asleep Bad.   
“Skeppy?” he says quietly. “Pasta’s ready.”  
“I’ll wake him up.”  
“I’ll bring you the food.”  
Skeppy kisses Bad’s forehead.  
“Wake up, baby,” he says, quietly, brushing hair away from Bad’s face. He blinks his eyes open, grumpy face melting into a gorgeous, wide smile when he sees Skeppy’s face.  
“It’s dinnertime. We’re eating in here.” Skeppy presses a kiss to Bad’s forehead. George comes in, hands them the plates. He leaves and the pair settle down to eat, Skeppy playfully poking a forkful of pasta toward Bad’s mouth. He accepts it and smiles, the two holding hands and eating quietly.   
They finish and Skeppy takes their dishes, telling him with a quick kiss to take a shower and brush his teeth.   
“I’ve got it,” Dream smiles, taking the dishes out of his hands.  
“No, it’s okay,” Skeppy says, taking them back and starting to wash their plates. “I’ve got it.” He finishes quickly, disappearing back to their room and leaving Dream to finish the dishes. Techno sits on the couch with a book, and George sits on the counter and talks quietly to Dream. Their bathroom door is open, and Skeppy closes it quickly. He stretches out on the bed, smiling at the ceiling. Not long after, Bad walks out, wearing a towel around his waist.  
“Oh- sorry,” he sputters. “I forgot to grab clothes- I. Um.”  
Skeppy turns around, face red, gesturing toward the wardrobe.   
He hears Bad open the wardrobe and rustle around, then fall next to him on the bed. He tugs Skeppy back, climbing on top of him. He’s wearing Skeppy’s shorts, which makes him so happy with the quiet, hushed intimacy of it that he can hardly stand it.  
What a beautiful thing to see the love of your life wearing your clothes.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
“Come on, baby. We have to go to bed,” Dream says, shutting off the water and placing the last of the dishes on the drying rack.   
“Fine with me,” George sighs, holding out his arms. Dream leans forward and picks him up, George’s legs tightening around his hips.  
“I’m gonna have to watch this every night, huh,” Techno sighs, watching Dream carry him all the way down the hall. He picks up his book and walks to his own room, changing quickly and sliding under the blankets. He turns his head and looks at his picture frame, looking at his old family.   
He hears a soft noise and sits up, looking around in confusion until he hears a much louder one and a loud thud. He winces and flops back, pulling the pillow over his face.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
“Get up!” Bad yells, prancing along the hallway. Techno looks up idly, having already been up for an hour and drinking a mug of tea and reading. Skeppy is chasing him, trying to get him back.  
“Rest!”  
“We have to pack today,” Bad yells. He leans against a wall and sways, face scrunching in pain. Skeppy slips his arms around Bad’s waist. He sways and falls, Skeppy catching him.   
“Techno, grab a muffin and uh… some of those potatoes. And warm, please. Not cold like you- Disgusting. Thanks!” he calls, disappearing.  
Dream and George walk out of their room, looking disheveled and George shirtless.   
“Put a shirt on!” Techno yells, turning toward the kitchen to retrieve food for Bad. He takes it to them, waiting until called in.   
“Thank you,” Skeppy smiles, handing the food to Bad with a kiss. Techno smiles and leaves, going to his room to pack.   
Dream and George seem to have gotten sidetracked, and are aggressively making out on their bed.  
“Pack! Or at least close the door!”  
George shoves Dream off him, looking guiltily at Techno. “When do we leave again?”  
“Tomorrow morning. Pack all your clothes and anything you want for the next week. And please, bring your own toiletries.” He disappears into his room, pulling out the suitcase from under his bed.  
He gently picks up his picture frame, wrapping it in cloth. He lays down a few clothes and places the frame on top of them. He folds an outfit for the next day, a simple slim pair of gray jeans and a white button up with a simple, dark reddish jacket. He ties his long pink hair into a ponytail, tossing it over his shoulder. He pulls out his mask and wraps that too, placing it in a messenger bag next to a series of knives and the prototype tablet that Skeppy made next to a stylus. He tucks the crossbow in, too, and two books. He finishes with the clothes and zips the bag, taking it in the living room. Skeppy is now packing for two, and from the sound of it, Dream is attempting to give them a child to deal with on top of everything else.   
“Pack!” Techno yells, advancing toward Skeppy’s lab. “Settle down, you two-”  
“Settling!” Dream calls. George peeks out into the hallway, wearing a shirt that falls down to mid-thigh. Dream tugs him back and Techno shakes his head.   
“I’m separating the two of you if you don’t start working,” Techno sighs.   
“Oh, I’m working,” Dream says, smirking to the general company’s disgust. George closes the door and Techno says, “That’s it! George, put some freaking clothes on and come help me in the lab. Dream, pack the two of you’s clothes and you better stay at least one room apart until tonight.”  
“Okay, Mom,” Dream groans, kissing George goodbye.   
“I’ll have him home by nine,” George deadpans, nodding enthusiastically and walking  
past Techno in clothes that are way too big for him.   
“Do you even own clothes?”  
“Considering I was kidnapped and yanked out of the only life I’ve ever known without any of my possessions… no. I do not.” He walks down the hallway, shirt so big his shorts are barely visible.  
“Okay. Skeppy, go help George pack up everything in the lab. I’m going to go get   
George some clothes, Dream, pack up your clothes and you and George’s toiletries. I’m headed out.” He grabs his mask from his back, securing it and letting his hair down. It’s getting pretty long- it hits the small of his back now. He likes it like this, too much to cut it- it’s the perfect kind of dyed where it’s convincingly pink but soft and not dry.   
He pulls his cloak around his shoulders, sliding a few knives into his belt and walking out, tugging boots on and tying laces perfectly into place. Bad is still passed out, Dream is obediently packing, and Skeppy and George are packing up gifts for the anarchists.   
“I’m leaving,” Techno calls. He gets a chorus of goodbyes, and slips out the door quietly and walks into the sewer network.   
“I’ve got the rest from here,” Skeppy says when he hears Techno leave, and George smiles, running off to go spend time with his boyfriend.  
Skeppy finishes and decides to do the same, taking the last gun case to the living room and heading back to his room, finishing up their packing there. Bad stirs and Skeppy freezes, waiting for him to go back to sleep.  
“Skeppy, is that you?” Bad mumbles, sleepily rubbing his eyes.  
“Yeah, it’s me. Go back to sleep,” he says quietly.  
“Lie down with me?” he asks, holding out his arms. Skeppy smiles and lays himself top of the blankets, next to Bad.  
“Under the blankets,” Bad says, turning sideways. “Come on, you can finish packing later.”  
He slips under the blankets, pulling Bad close to him. Skeppy smiles into his hair, slipping his leg over Bad’s.   
“Are you feeling better?” Skeppy asks, running his hands through Bad’s hair.   
“I am, actually,” Bad says. “Thanks for making me rest. I think I’ll be well enough by tomorrow to travel.”  
“That’s good,” Skeppy says, snuggling his face into the top of Bad’s head. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”  
“Me too,” Bad smiles, adjusting his face until it fits perfectly into the curve of Skeppy’s neck. He yawns, body relaxing until he can feel sleep tugging at his mind again.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
“Skeppy, did you fall asleep?” Techno stands over their bed.  
“No,” Skeppy says quickly, sitting up. Bad groans in protest, tugging him back. “Nooo,” Bad complains, shooing Techno away.  
“I have something for you,” Techno says. He unceremoniously dumps a small animal that is probably white under the matted and dirty curls. “I thought it was a rat. Here.” He walks out.  
Bad lets out a huge squeal and hugs the thing. “I’m gonna name you Rat!”  
“We should probably give him a bath,” Skeppy says, trying not to let the disgust show on his face.   
“Yes we should,” Bad says in a baby-talk voice, scooping up the little dog. “Come on,   
Skeppy!” He gets up and walks to the bathroom, putting water in the small bathtub. He pulls out a bottle of soap they don’t use since Bad started stealing Skeppy’s since he thought it smelled better.  
“Baby, are you-” Skeppy sighs at the sight before him, Bad brushing his fingers through the dog’s tangled fur, the water already filling with dirt.   
When he finishes, the dog is adorable but very soaked. Bad wraps him in a towel, and Skeppy awws, taking the towel-wrapped dog. It’s very cute, looking up at him with big, happy eyes and soft, damp fur. His heart melts, and Bad leans against him.  
“We can be her dads,” Bad says softly, looking down at the little dog in Skeppy’s arms.  
Skeppy doesn’t say anything, but his eyes are burning. He’s thought about family a lot before. Especially with Bad. It never felt possible. The other guys are his family, but he’s always thought, somewhere in the back of his mind about starting a family with Bad.   
Something is changing.  
He pushes it all to the back of his mind, goes up on tiptoes and kisses the top of Bad’s head.  
“Yeah. We can be dads.”  
They walk back, the pair sitting leaning against each other, Rat settling down on Bad’s lap and falling asleep. Skeppy looks down at Rat, over at Bad, and when a single tear trickles down his cheek he makes sure Bad doesn’t see it.   
It’s getting later, and Bad dozes off, Rat fast asleep in his lap. Skeppy moves himself out of the bed, packing up the last of Bad’s clothes and some extra stuff for the dog. He pulls together dog bowls, going through spare materials in his shop and making a leash and collar. He smiles at his handiwork, admiring a small metal circle embossed with Rat. He sneaks the collar around Rat’s neck. He kisses Bad as he stirs, showing him the collar. He beams and kisses Skeppy hard, cupping the sides of his face and smiling so hugely it spreads to Skeppy’s face.  
“Not in front of the kid,” Skeppy teases, nodding at a very asleep Rat. “Go back to sleep.  
“I love you,” Bad says, wholeheartedly, purely, looking up into Skeppy’s face.   
“I love you too, Bad,” Skeppy smiles, looking down and pressing another kiss to his lips. “Go to sleep.”  
Skeppy leaves, Bad falling back asleep and Skeppy going to make some food for them all. Techno is reading on the couch, curled up. His hair is wrapped in a towel, dressed in a simple white tee and sweatpants, red blanket tucked around his feet. Very solid color scheme, he thinks.  
“Do you have your hair in a towel?” Skeppy asks, sidling up to the fridge.   
“It’s proper hair care for long hair,” Techno snaps, adjusting his towel.  
“You look like you have a beehive on your head,” Skeppy says. Techno mumbles and sticks his tongue out at Skeppy, shaking his damp hair out and neatly folding the towel. He goes back to his book, tracing pointed nails along the lines. Skeppy starts cooking, pulling ingredients for some kind of soup Bad taught him how to make.   
“Where are Dream and George?”  
“Not packing their stuff, that’s for sure. They were kissing when I delivered the clothes. Probably still are.”  
“I swear, they’re never getting sick of each other,” Skeppy shakes his head and smiles.  
“I highly doubt it. We know Dream better than anyone. He’s so in love, he’s got enough in his heart to last the pair the rest of their lives. And George gives him more every second.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Here is chapter four and ohhh I have done something truly evil. Also look at me with the proper chapter lengths!! I’m getting the hang of this fic-writing thing. I’m so shocked at how many people see this and like it- I’m used to only one or two people reading my work. I have a few other completed fics that I’m thinking about posting- they’d probably be posted whole after some Aggressive Editing- the one in mind is like six chapters. (Eight or nine chapters is usually when I get tired of a fic. My future as a writer looks dark.)  
> Alright, enjoy! And just a quick note here-   
> Techno will not be romantically involved with anyone as I believe he has expressed discomfort at that kind of fic being written about him.

“Wake up!” Techno calls, having already been up for an hour. He’s wearing gray jeans, snug black boots, and a white button up, with the red jacket around his shoulders. His messenger bag is already tossed around his shoulder, and all their stuff is in a pile on the floor. There are three duffel bags, one for Techno and one for each of the couples, as well as three cases of gifts for the group they’re meeting. He peeks his head in Skeppy and Bad’s room. The two are curled up happily, the dog he rescued in the middle. He’s got a collar now, and he looks… clean.  
“Wake up. It’s time to go.”  
Skeppy sits up, kissing Bad’s forehead and picking up the dog.  
“We named her Rat,” Skeppy informs Techno, petting the dog. Bad stirs and smiles up at Skeppy, kissing him good morning. Techno leaves, knocking on Dream and George’s door.  
“You have five seconds to cover up,” Techno calls. He opens the door after a few seconds, to Dream and George curled up around each other, blanket covering half of them. George is wearing Dream’s shirt, and Dream is shirtless.  
“I got you clothes yesterday,” Techno sighs. “You don’t have to wear Dream’s anymore.”  
“I know,” George says sleepily. “Dream packed them.”  
“I did,” Dream said. “Why are you already up and dressed all the time?”  
“Because I like getting up early,” Techno says. “Get dressed.” He leaves, shutting the door behind him. He doublechecks everything and decides to start breakfast, pulling out eggs and toast and cinnamon rolls. Skeppy and Bad walk in, Bad wearing a black hoodie and black jeans, pockets and sleeves lined with red. A gray scarf is wrapped around his neck, Skeppy adjusting it. He bats Skeppy’s hand away, pushing up his glasses and kissing Skeppy’s cheek. Skeppy wears a sky blue hoodie, a cute face embroidered on the hood that Bad did one day. He wears similar black jeans, his hair defying gravity. Dream and George follow them seconds later, George wrapped in a big black hoodie with a little smile design. He wears sweatpants, that are also probably Dream’s, but Techno sighs and realizes this is a battle he will not win.   
“Eat,” Techno sighs, placing food on the table. “But not too much. We have to walk two miles before we get picked up.”  
“How’re we going to make it without being seen?” George asks, taking a bite of cinnamon roll.  
“Skeppy made this thing that loops camera footage. We’ll be along the beach, I have this cart stored by the rocks for our stuff.”  
“Oh, I have some stuff for you guys.” Skeppy pulls out a bin from nowhere, with five small rectangles of metal. Skeppy picks one up and gestures for all of them to take one, and taps on one. It lights up.  
“These allow you to communicate with any of the others if they’re within a mile or so of each other. Use them if we get too far away from each other. They’ll let you send bits of text or voice chat with each other. I only made five, so don’t flash them around when we get to the village.” He puts the bin on the ground, tucking the device into his pocket.   
“Thank you, baby,” Bad says, kissing his cheek and taking another bite.   
There’s a few hums of thanks, and everyone eats quickly. Techno washes and puts away the dishes, the couples conversing quietly.   
“Are we taking Rat?”  
“Yes,” Bad says before Skeppy can stop him.   
“I got some food for the dog, actually,” Techno says quickly. “I took a bunch of dog food last week. I meant to distribute it to the people with dogs in Spire Sector. It’s in the storage room. I think there’s some for small dogs.”   
“Thank you, Techno,” Bad smiles, looking toward the dog lying on the couch on a blanket. “Skeppy, come with me.” He gently takes his hand and tugs him toward the storage room.  
“There’s a storage room?” George wonders aloud.   
“Yeah,” Techno says. He picks up his messenger bag and tucks the device into it, slinging it over his shoulder. Bad slides a bag of food into their bag, next to a leash and two tiny dog bowls. He tries to pick the bag up but stumbles, Skeppy quickly taking it from him.   
“I’ve got it, baby,” Skeppy says. George gets ready, sliding a jacket, a few weapons, and the device into a backpack. He slides it on and picks up their bag, Dream quickly taking the bag from him. “I’ve got it,” he says, sliding his own backpack over his shoulder.  
“Do we have water?” Bad says, picking up the dog. “We should probably bring a bottle for Rat.”  
“Did you name your dog Rat?”  
“Well, you thought she was a rat, didn’t you?” Bad snuggles the dog to his chest and it licks his face. He bursts into giggles and Skeppy smiles. It’s all so disgustingly cute. George gives Dream a small little kiss, slipping his hand in his.   
“Are we ready?”  
“Yes,” Skeppy says, taking all their bags, Bad carrying Rat. Dream takes him and George’s bags, sliding the backpack over his shoulders and the duffel bag onto one, sliding his hand under George’s sweatshirt and around his waist. They walk out together, Dream and Skeppy doing the work for their boyfriends. Techno has Skeppy double check the surveillance system, and locks up the bunker behind them all. They walk down to the beach, Techno pulling out a wheeled cart and having everyone put their bags in it. Bad moves them into a nest and places Rat in the center, where she lies down and looks around as Skeppy takes the first turn with the cart.   
“It’s two miles to the place where they’re picking us up with the boat. The couple picking us up is driving us overnight to the settlement. Skeppy and I will be meeting with some defense experts and other various important people. They may ask to meet Dream. George and Bad can do whatever. Just try not to punch anyone. You guys can kiss in public as much as you want there, too- the place is about 90% homosexual couples. There are some cool markets and stuff. You can trade or buy things with credits there, but we don’t really have anything to trade and no credits.”  
They talk on and off for the rest of the two miles, Skeppy taking Bad’s turn for him. George valiantly tries to take his own but is stopped by Dream. Techno’s turn gets skipped for all the bickering. The couple is waiting by a small dock, with a large, fancy-looking boat tied to it. They’re standing with the taller’s arm wrapped around the smaller, both with short dyed hair and loose, earth-tone clothes.   
“Techno!” the taller greets, wrapping him in a hug. The shorter lurks, smiling awkwardly.   
“Nice to see you again.” Techno nods to the one at the end of the dock.   
“Shall we?” The taller one leads them onto the boat. “I’m Julian. This is Winter.” The shorter one smiles and waves. “Winter wasn’t here last time you came to town. He lived with a nomadic group after getting rescued from an East Coast town, then we met and he decided to stay with us.” He steps onto the boat and pulls Winter after him, then Techno, then Skeppy and Dream who pull their boyfriends up.  
“So you’re the two couples?” Julian says, nodding toward Skeppy who’s holding Bad to him, Dream with his arm around George’s shoulders.   
“Yeah. I’m Dream, and this is George.”  
“I’m Skeppy. This is Bad.”   
“Why do you have such strange names?” Winter asks. “Sorry, I-” he tries to reconsider.   
“No, it’s okay, just names we used to not arouse suspicion and stuff. Our names changed from what we used in our old lives. My name used to be Clay.”  
“Makes sense.” Julian disappears toward the bridge.  
“So we’re driving you overnight,” Winter says. “Julian’s taking the first shift, I’m taking the second. You all have rooms- they’re a little cramped, but there’s four- one for me and Julian, one for Techno, and one for you two-” He points toward Dream and George, “and one for you two.” He points toward Skeppy and Bad. “I’ll lead you toward your rooms.” He walks down to a small seating area and opens a door, beckoning them through.  
“Techno, here-” He nods toward a door. It has a very, very tiny corner bathroom and a small couch with a bunk pulled out above it. “And here and here.” He nods toward two more, with small double beds and slightly larger bathrooms.   
“We’re gonna get going in a few minutes. There’s a nice view from each of your windows. I wouldn’t recommend going outside. It gets pretty cold. Unpack, there should be some books and stuff in the rooms. I’m going to sleep some before I have to drive. Up those stairs is the bridge. Go and ask Julian if you have any questions.” He disappears into the fourth room, and everyone goes into their own rooms.  
George and Dream kiss immediately upon the door shutting, hands falling surely into place and Dream kissing down George’s neck, pushing the loose collar of the sweatshirt off his shoulder to leave a series of soft kisses down his collarbone. They fall onto the bed, George ending up on top and pulling off his hoodie, revealing nothing underneath. Dream’s hands race up his sides, pulling him close.  
“This is crazy,” George breathes into Dream’s neck, settling down next to him.  
“What do you mean?”  
“I mean. Kissing my boyfriend on a boat that two guys who are a couple are driving. Who are anarchists. It’s just- It’s crazy.”  
Dream nods and turns sideways, hand trailing down George’s side. His hands slide down George’s spine, hands dipping into the small of his back and settling with his fingers in the ridges of his spine. George closes his eyes and lets Dream touch him, all the feeling in his body focused on a few points, his face and neck burning and the whole world with it.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Techno prayed that they would have the manners to be quiet at least on the boat. He was mistaken. He grabs his book and tries to tune it out.  
The books were stolen from the archives years ago, most of them given to historians in the anarchist groups and given to the libraries. This one’s a book of poetry, with pretty flowers on the cover and long lines of swirling, fancy and flawlessly printed text, unlike the smudged ink of the poorly bound textbooks typically available to the Republic.   
There’s a knock at the door. “Come in,” Techno calls, tucking a thin strip of cloth into the book and placing it on a dresser/nightstand.   
It’s Julian, and Techno’s eyes widen. “Shouldn’t you be-”  
“It’s on autopilot. Something Winter fixed up. I just need to monitor it now and then. It should be fine for a few minutes.”  
“Ah.”  
“So. Where’s Phil? You haven’t come by in a few years, we barely talk- all you told me was you were bringing your family. I was unaware the members of your family had grown.”  
“Phil is dead. So are the kids.” Techno keeps his voice clipped and unemotional- or tries. His eyes are burning and blurring with tears, he blinks them away, his voice trembling ever so slightly.  
“Oh my- Techno, I’m so sorry,” Julian said.  
“You know we were gonna move, right? Then- Then one of the kids got sick. We moved the trip to next weekend- I went out to get some medicine. I thought, you know, we could make it one more week. When I came back, they were shot in the street. I ran and didn’t look back. I would have died. I lived alone- then I started rescuing people, as you know. I never told you that they died. I sent most of them to you, of course, but then kept Skeppy and Bad. They were going to be shot, too. They got caught- I managed to rescue them, then Dream, then George. It’s been a few years and- and I decided it was time to come here. This is my family now.”  
“Oh, Techno.” Julian pulls him into a hug. Techno feels like crying, just breaking apart and let everything he’s been carrying, rage and sadness bottled up for years, let it all out, but he doesn’t. He smiles a clipped smile and thanks Julian, keeping himself steady and willing the tears away.  
“I’m so sorry,” Julian repeats. “I can’t- I can’t believe it. In- in our village, you know, there’s a lot of different types of family. I’ve never seen anything like yours. You and Phil- You didn’t love each other romantically, but you loved him and those kids more than I’ve ever seen anyone love anyone. That kind of love- that’s the strongest there is. And anyone who spends their time in the vicinity of all the love you’ve got- they should count themselves lucky.”  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
“Are you feeling okay?” Skeppy asks, tucking their bag underneath the bed. Bad pulled the curtains shut and is curled up, looking miserable.   
“Seasick,” Bad groans in pain.  
“We’re barely out of the-” Bad lets out another groan and Skeppy quickly cuddles him, fitting his chest to Bad’s back and kissing the back of his neck. Bad leans back into him, and Skeppy rubs his hands up and down Bad’s stomach.  
“I’m sorry, love,” Skeppy says quietly. “Breathe.” He presses another kiss to Bad’s neck and rests his arm over his hip, letting Bad toss and turn uncomfortably.  
There’s a knock on the door, and Skeppy calls “Come in!” He sits up against the headboard and Bad puts his head in Skeppy’s lap, pushing his hair out of his eyes and taking off his glasses. Julian walks in.  
“Are you okay?” Julian asks.  
“He’s seasick,” Skeppy says apologetically, hand unconsciously moving in small circles on Bad’s shoulders.   
“Oh, there’s some seasick medicine,” Julian says, going into their bathroom and pulling out a small bottle. “There’s a bottle of water in the nightstand. Need anything else?”  
“Nope! Thank you,” Skeppy smiles, taking the bottle and the water. He pulls Bad up, leaning him against his chest and handing him the medicine. He takes it and leans back into Skeppy, Skeppy settling his arms around Bad’s waist.  
They sit there for a while and then slump down, Skeppy lying down next to Bad and kissing his face softly, his thumb tracing semicircles on his back.   
“Are you feeling better?” Skeppy asks softly, hand resting on his face and pushing hair out of the way. “And you need a haircut.”  
“I’m feeling better. Just a little tired and nauseous.” He’s fighting to keep his eyes open.  
“Rest a little bit,” Skeppy says quietly. “We can just-”  
“I’ve got food,” Julian calls.  
“Give me one second,” Skeppy says, kissing Bad’s cheek and getting up. He curls back into a ball.  
Julian hands them all small metal containers and tiny cardboard boxes.  
“Rice noodles and sauce,” he says. He gives them all forks and they disappear into their rooms to eat. Bad gets a small tin of crackers covered with salt. “They make you feel better when you’re sick,” is all Julian offers as an explanation.  
Bad seems to appreciate them, and Skeppy eats quickly. Bad goes to sleep after finishing, and Skeppy sits next to him.   
Bad sleeps from that afternoon all through the night, Skeppy eating dinner with the others in Techno’s cabin. Bad shifts in his sleep into Skeppy’s arms, making sure Skeppy falls asleep the same way he does every night.  
Techno thanks everything good in the world that Dream and George stay quiet for once.  
In the morning, a surprisingly well-rested Julian and Winter come to wake them up. Bad appears to be feeling better, and carries Rat off the boat and into the village.  
Techno’s been here many times before- but it’s always fun to watch people take it in for the first time. There are a few dozen houses of all sorts of styles- houses built into the trees, into the ground, small stone and wood buildings with beautiful arching windows with people leaning out of them, yelling cheerily into the street and open spaces with stalls full of things that even the richest people’s possessions couldn’t come close to the beauty of- paper, ink, jewelry in rich colors and clothes that aren’t plain white, gray, or black. There are strange pieces of cloth flying everywhere, striped with colors in rainbow order.  
“What are those?” George asks, pointing toward the flags.  
Winter laughs, and Julian places his hand on Winter’s shoulder.  
“He’s lived in the Republic all his life,” Julian says under his breath. “Those are pride flags. They were how people in the Old World showed pride for being gay. People being in love with the same gender,” he says louder. “This settlement is made up of mostly gay people. We don’t have a government, and there are no laws against it here- people just let each other live. We do, however, have a place for guests like you all to stay- follow us.”  
George tentatively takes Dream’s hand in his. His hand is small and slender and fits perfectly in Dream’s sturdy and strong hand. Bad’s hands are full with Rat, so Skeppy takes a deep breath and slides his arm around Bad’s waist. Bad looks up at him in surprise and confusion.  
They start walking, steps in smooth rhythm. People watch them as they pass, parting where needed for them to get through.  
The place for guests is a boxy, dark wooden house with glass and iron windows. They’re led inside, opening into a living area with a small kitchen and a reading area with books shelved orderly. Stairs lead up to a second floor with four bedrooms.  
“I believe Celeste will be coming by for those,” Julian nods at the packages of weapons. “They’ll be bringing fellow experts and defenders. You can all do as you wish- wander the market if you’d like, although I don’t know if you brought anything to trade. There should be food in the kitchen, although if you want to go out and try vendors then I’m not about to stop you. Much of what Technoblade takes is given to us, as you know- and they are sure to treat you with kindness now that they know you’re with him. We’re going to prepare for the meeting now- in about thirty minutes or so, we’re meeting at the Bunker. We look forward to seeing you then.”  
He departs and Winter follows him, giving them a nod and closing the door.  
“I call the master,” Techno says after a second and leaps for the stairs. Dream runs after him, but is left in the dust by Techno jumping and skipping the stairs altogether, pulling himself up by the banister. Skeppy bolts after them, leaving Bad and George to carry up the bags. Dream made it to the master, crowing in joy. Techno’s got the second largest, and thanks George for his bag.   
Dream kisses George and yanks him into their room. Techno winces at the realization their rooms share a wall. Skeppy and Bad go into their room, carrying their bags. Techno begins to unpack, putting his clothes in the closet and putting his book and picture frame on the nightstand. He puts the bag of toiletries in the bathroom, untying his hair and combing it. He decides to take a shower, and reties his hair into a messy knot at the back of his head. He redresses in his usual going-out uniform, the black cloth of his pants the fancy fabric that functions as nearly armor, a red sash tied around his waist and a white button up, his favorite red cloak with white trim clasped in front of his throat. He places the mask over his face and walks downstairs, untying his hair and letting it lie over his shoulders.  
In Bad and Skeppy’s room, Bad is stretched out on their bed and Skeppy is getting dressed. Skeppy finishes and kisses Bad goodbye, walking out. Bad hurries down, tugging him into another kiss. His arms settle around Skeppy’s neck and they smile against each other’s lips, pulling each other so close not an inch of them is not touching. Techno averts his eyes, sighing in annoyance.  
“I’m gonna be so bored without you,” Bad says quietly, knowing they’ll only spend a couple hours apart- but they haven’t done that in quite a while.  
“You’ll be fine,” Skeppy says, cupping his face and smiling gently. They kiss again and Techno and Skeppy leave together, Bad watching them go.  
Dream and George come downstairs, a mess of arms around waists and every-five-seconds kisses. Their attention appears to be originally toward getting something to eat, but instead they end up making out on the counter.  
Bad is walking upstairs, leaving them to it, when there’s a knock on the door. He walks past them to open it. A young man with a pale yellow knit sweater and a white shirt under it, collar layered over the neck. He’s wearing black jeans tucked into brown leather boots, his hair hidden under a hat.  
“You’re BadBoyHalo, right?” The man smiles eagerly. “We were told you take care of Techno and are a valuable part of his family. I’m Alex. If you’d like, you can come with me- we have lots of cookbooks and ways to grow food, if you’re interested.”  
“Okay!”  
Bad takes a second to pull on shoes and get everything together, then follows Alex out the door.  
“How long have you been living here?” Bad asks curiously.  
“A few years! I was a lawyer in the Republic, but I knew what I was doing was wrong- so I began to sabotage. Making people who were guilty of homosexuality seem innocent, misplacing evidence. Things like that. They caught me, though, and Techno made sure I got out okay. I met my partners here, and started to be interested in agriculture and the recipes and things of the old world. Right here,” he smiles, taking Bad by the elbow and guiding him into a treehouse building, networked across several tall trees. They walk up the stairs, where the enormous tree has been seemingly guided into growing perfectly into a building, branches reaching and stopping to form a wooden nest, glass at the top letting sunshine into a gorgeous lab, overflowing with plants and books. Flowers reach up next to rows of pallet planters, filled with perfect vegetables and leafy herbs. It smells like sun and leaves.  
A woman with dark, smooth skin and hair tied into a sleek black ponytail walks in, holding a clipboard to her chest and looking around the lab.  
“Hello,” the woman nods. “Apologies, just here to return the strawberry plant.” She places it on the table and leaves, walking to the next tree.  
“So this is my space. Over there-” he nods to another tree, “-is the library. I might be compelled to give you some books,” Alex says, grinning slyly. Bad smiles back nervously and follows him to the library.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
“Baby, should we- Should we- unh,” George says, trying desperately to finish his sentence but very, very distracted.  
“Come on. We’re alone in an empty house, with no one coming back for hours.” He kisses George’s neck. “Let’s make the most of it.”  
He shudders in pleasure, hands closing in fists around the fabric of Dream’s shirt.  
“We should go out- See the- see-”  
“We have all week.” Dream slides George’s shirt over his head. He slides his hands under George’s thighs and lifts, kissing him roughly. His hands are up the backs of George’s shorts and something anxious and sick slides around his stomach. Dream hurries him upstairs, and George tries his best to push everything out of his mind. Dream gently sets him down on the bed, looking at him with cautious eyes. Anxiety pushes up his throat as Dream closes the door, walking back towards George and settling on the bed next to him, placing his knees on either side of his hips and kisses him gently, sliding his shorts down his hips.   
“Dream, stop,” George blurts out.  
“What?” He pulls back in confusion.  
“I don’t- I don’t want to do this,” George says, lump settling in his throat. “I- excuse me.”  
He moves out from under Dream and runs to the bathroom, closing the door quickly behind him. Dream sits on the bed, confusion and hurt cycling through his mind.   
George stares at himself in the mirror, every flaw highlighted on his body. He loves Dream, more than anything, but something is stopping him.  
He can’t do this. He just can’t do it.  
George sobs, looking down into the sink. He breathes in and out but he feels like he can’t breathe. He inhales desperately, and Dream knocks softly.  
“George?” he says softly. “Are you okay?”  
He tries to say something, anything, but it doesn’t make it out.   
“I’m sorry,” Dream says. “I’ll grab you some clothes. Okay? I’m sorry.”  
“Okay,” George says softly, inhaling and exhaling shakily. Dream comes in and gives him the clothes, doesn’t even touch him and leaves quietly. He says he’ll wait downstairs and leaves.  
George puts on his clothes and rubs his eyes, going downstairs.  
“Hold my hand?” Dream asks. George takes it happily, content with the small, intimate gesture.  
They walk to the .  
They walk out, a kind of silence between them they haven’t felt in a while. Something thick, unbreachable and awkward.   
They walk toward the markets, where an elderly couple smiles and beckons them over to a stall.  
“Come here, come here,” one says.   
“You are Technoblade’s friends, yes?” The old man smiles, one arm around the old woman’s waist.   
“Yes,” Dream says.   
“Here, we have- a gift,” the woman says.   
“Candles,” the man says. The woman places some candles on some gorgeous green and gold fabric and skillfully wraps it, tying a thick golden ribbon around it securely.   
“This fabric is gorgeous,” George says, picking up the package and running his hands over the soft, silky fabric.  
“Yes- our son and, uh, his boyfriend make it- right over there,” the woman says. We moved here when he was arrested. Go, visit him.” They smile and point toward the stall, and they dazedly walk toward the stall draped with fabrics-rugs, curtains, dresses. Two men are talking to the first in a long line, sliding a dress across the workspace and taking something wrapped in paper. They slide into line, the awkward air melting, George pulling Dream’s face down into a short kiss- a nonverbal Everything’s okay.  
Dream smiles, gorgeously, so beautifully that George’s heart melts and they’re back, arms sliding neatly into place like they never missed a beat.   
Dream tangles his fingers in George’s hair, pulling him into another kiss. George laughs quietly, leaning into his side.   
They’re at the front in no time.  
“Oh, you are Technoblade’s friends!” The man at the stall smiles. “Here to pick up his order?”  
“Oh! I mean, we’ll take it for him but we just wanted to look around.”  
“Well, here.” one of the men slides a package wrapped in paper. “His shirt and pants. Uh, my parents sent you over here?”  
“Yeah,” Dream says.  
“Well, my parents sell armor down there,” the other man points. “And my sister and her partner sell food across from there. Recipes from Old Asia, mostly. Go and check it out.”   
“We will!”   
“Oh, and here.” One of the men slides a chartreuse hoodie over. “I saw you looking at it,” he winks at Dream.   
“We don’t have anything to give you,” Dream says, flustered. “It’s- it’s amazing. But I can’t- We don’t have anything to trade,” he says helplessly.  
“No, no. It’s a gift,” he smiles. “Take it. Go on, go on.”  
He slips it on, and he looks amazing in it- and George tells him so, slipping his arms around his neck and kissing him.   
“Thank you so much,” Dream beams.  
“Of course, of course. Go check out the other stalls, alright?”  
“We’ll see you around,” the other one says.   
“Bye,” George smiles, leading Dream away and taking Techno’s package, holding it next to the one of candles.   
They find the armor stall quickly, and look around. George gasps quietly, looking at a gorgeous chestplate.  
“Anything to trade?” the man asks.  
“Sorry, no,” Dream says. They wander off, going toward a building of dark stone with the windows open, scent pouring out and compelling everyone inside.   
The walls are mustard yellow and the tables are red and black, everything simple but in harmony.   
“Oh, Technoblade’s friends! Dream and George, right? Come here, come here,” a woman behind the counter calls. “Stay, stay. We’ll make you something. Sit,” she calls, pointing towards the counter with stools. They sit down apprehensively and in no time, bowls full of food and two empty plates are set in front of them.   
“It’s a little bit of everything,” the woman says. “Food from Old Asia- Japan, China, India, our specialties. Enjoy.”  
They each scoop out some strong- smelling food, the smell so thick and delicious it’s practically enough to feed them. They eat and it’s absolutely incredible, and they eat so quickly it’s gone within minutes.  
“Done already?” the woman asks mildly.   
“This is the best meal I’ve ever had,” George says, feeling like his stomach is going to burst. The woman laughs and takes the dishes.  
“Well, I’ll give your compliments to the chef,” she smiles.  
“Should we go visit Bad?” George asks, turning to face Dream.  
“Sure,” Dream says, standing and taking George’s hand as he slides off his own stool.   
“What was that guy’s name? Alex? And which of the agriculture things does he live in?”  
“Alexis?” the person says next to him. “I hope your friend doesn’t have a boyfriend. He’s famous for breaking up relationships.”   
“Yeah, he has a boyfriend. But they love each other,” George says.  
“Just watch. And he’s in the treehouses. Go up one and someone’ll point you to him. Best of luck.”   
They walk to the treehouses, making it up the staircases. Bad and Alex are in the first room they see. Bad is looking at a small plant and Alex is standing behind him. George looks at the pair nervously.  
“Oh! Dream! George! Look at this,” he gushes, holding up a small pepper plant. “There’s this way you can grow them inside- it’s so cool. Expect lots of homegrown veggies!” He sets the pepper plant down, bouncing to the other side of the room. They smile politely at Alex.  
“Well, we’ll leave you to it,” Dream says finally, placing his hand at the small of George’s back and leading him out.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
“Ready to head back?” Techno asks Skeppy, picking up the now-empty cases and a few gifts from the defense experts.   
“Yeah.”  
They walk back to the house, where they see Dream and George lying together on the couch, George looking like he’s half-asleep. Dream motions for them to be quiet.   
“Where’s Bad?” Skeppy whispers.  
“At the agriculture treehouses,” Dream whispers back, smoothing George’s hair away from his face.   
“I’m gonna go see him,” Skeppy says quietly.  
“Okay.” Techno takes his stuff and heads upstairs.   
Skeppy walks to the treehouses, excited to finally see his boyfriend. He hums quietly to himself as he walks up the staircase, moving quietly to surprise Bad.  
When he gets there, he looks through the glass window- and there is another man kissing Bad.  
His eyes widen as the man opens Bad’s mouth and Skeppy turns away, anger and betrayal simmering. He goes down the stairs as quietly as he came, and by the time he’s back at the house he’s crying, tears pouring down his face. He feels himself dry heave, collapsing on the stone floor of the house. George and Dream come running and he screams, anger and sadness and betrayal forcing themselves out.   
“Skeppy, breathe- what happened?”  
“Bad cheated on me!” he sobs.  
“That can’t be right,” Dream says, looking at him in shock. “Bad wouldn’t- Bad wouldn’t do that.”  
“Well, he did,” he spits. “He cheated on me. I went up to go see him and he was kissing some guy.”  
“There’s-”  
“Don’t say there’s no way, because there obviously is,” Skeppy yells. “Just- just leave me alone. I’m going home. He can stay here, for all I care.”  
He storms upstairs. A few minutes later, Bad comes through the door, looking guilty and scared. Skeppy comes down with a calm look on his face, but there’s anger boiling underneath it.  
“Hi, Bad,” Skeppy says placidly. “How’d the agriculture thing go?”  
“Fine,” Bad mutters. “Excuse me.” He tries to leave, going for the stairs, but Skeppy stops him.  
“You know, I could have forgiven you for cheating on me but now that you’ve fucking lied about it-”  
“Skeppy, I can explain,” Bad says frantically.  
“Don’t bother!” Skeppy outright yells. “We’re fucking done. I’m leaving. I don’t want to date a liar and a cheater-”  
“I wasn’t-”  
“Yes, you were!” Skeppy laughs hysterically, a wild, fearful look in his eyes. “I’m done. Bad, I love you. I trust you more than anything else. But apparently I don’t know you at all. I’m leaving. I’m going home. And I hope you stay here, and I hope you’re fucking happy knowing you betrayed me. I hope you stay with him for the rest of your fucking life!”  
He shoves Bad out of the way and walks out, slamming the front door behind him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> buckle up pals this is an emotional one…   
> I love protective Techno in case you couldn’t tell. I’ve spent so much time on this that I am incredibly behind in all assignments but why write an essay when you can write fanfiction??  
> Another thing I love is cliffhangers. In case you couldn’t tell that either.  
> I’ve been spending at least 8 hours a day on Skyblock with the guy I like which has also made me incredibly unproductive AND sleep deprived!! So if the quality of the writing is of lower quality blame him not me OKAY ENJOY

Bad breaks down crying, his knees giving out and collapsing to the floor. Techno is frozen in the stairwell, and George and Dream are standing shocked in the kitchen. Techno moves first, settling on the ground next to Bad. Bad falls into him and Techno gingerly hugs him.  
“What the fuck did you do,” Dream says. George slaps his arm.  
“I didn’t- he kissed me. I didn’t want him to. He- he kissed me and then I felt so bad- I hit him. I hit him in the face and I ran home and I didn’t know what to do, and then Skeppy- he just broke up with me and I didn’t even want- I want- I want Skeppy back,” he sobs, sniffling into Techno’s shoulder.   
“Come on, we can fix this-”  
There’s a knock at the door. Bad looks up hopefully. “Skeppy?”  
Instead Alex walks in.  
“I saw your little boyfriend running through the streets,” he smirks. “I told you he wasn’t good enough for you-”  
What happens next is a blur. Bad jumps at Alex, and punches him squarely in the face. Techno pulls him off, holding him back.  
“Stay with me,” Alex smiles, even though blood drips from his nose. “You know-”  
“You’re just- you’re just a discount Skeppy,” Bad half-sobs, half-yells. “Get the fuck out.”  
All their heads snap to Bad. Alex does what Bad says and scurries out.   
“I’m going to go get Skeppy back. And that never happened.”  
He disappears out the front door, it shutting securely behind him. Techno, George, and Dream look at each other in astonishment.   
“I bet he went for the docks,” Techno says after a bit. “They won’t stop him- I have to go. Everything’s gonna be okay.”  
He pulls on his boots and runs.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Bad’s feet pound the ground. He’s not used to running, but he’s moving faster than he ever has and refuses to stop, no matter how much his body tells him to.  
He makes it to the docks and the boat is already pulling away. He screams in anger and frustration. Techno comes up and drops on his knees next to Bad, who’s collapsed- again. He helps Bad up, hugging him carefully.   
“Are there any other boats?” Techno asks someone tying up the boat’s ropes, already knowing the answer.   
“No, sir,” the boy says, running off. Bad starts sobbing again. Techno takes his hand and leads him back to the house. Once he seems to get the hang of walking he lets go, carefully making sure he stays on path.  
They make it back to the house and Bad sniffles and runs upstairs, locking the door.  
“Now he can walk on his own,” Techno says, sighing. Dream and George are sitting back on the couch, with George’s head in Dream’s lap. He flops into a chair and kicks his shoes off, slipping a hair tie off his wrist and quickly tying it into a knot.   
“What happened?” George asks quietly.  
“Skeppy managed to talk them into taking him right then,” Techno sighs. “He’s gone.”  
Upstairs, Bad is crying. Rat whimpers and nudges himself into Bad’s arms where they’re pulled to his chest. He laughs weakly and pulls Rat to his chest. Rat sympathetically licks his face and settles in next to him, his breaths slowing as the final sob leaving his throat. He feels sweaty, disgusting, and his body aches but he doesn’t want to ever move again.   
Nothing can hurt him here.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Skeppy sits in the same room him and Bad shared just last night. Of all the anxieties he had about coming here, he never thought of this.  
He should have known, a little voice in the back of his head says. Of course Bad cheated. Of course Bad got tired of him. Alex was cute and he wasn’t there. He’s the kind of choice for a relationship that is if-you-were-the-last-person-on Earth-then-I’d-date-you. It’s not like Bad had other choices.   
He thinks all this but knows, somewhere deep, that him and Bad love each other and he wants him back.  
He runs up toward the bridge.  
“Julian. Can you turn the boat around?” Skeppy asks helplessly.  
“No can do,” Julian says. “It’s one way, all the way. No exceptions. Sorry. We’ve got someone to pick up there.”  
“But-”  
“Look, I know you wanna go back to your guy. But you’re better without him. He cheated on you. Get some sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning.”  
Skeppy doesn’t believe him, but goes to bed anyway. It is kinda late, but he’d usually spend this time with Bad, getting ready for bed and lying there for a while, kissing or cuddling or both.   
This will be the first night in forever that they haven’t fallen asleep in each other’s arms.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Skeppy doesn’t sleep at all. Neither does Bad. They both lie awake, crying and just sitting there in their mistakes. Alex comes to the door again. Dream kicks him out. Dream and George sleep very well. Techno does not. He can hear the crying all night. It’s like living with a baby. He misses the bickering.   
He decides enough is enough, and knocks on Dream and George’s door. The pair is shirtless and George’s thankfully clothed leg is flung over Dream’s hips.  
“Get up. And wear some clothes. We’re cutting the trip short and going back to fix Skeppy and Bad’s relationship. Come on. Get moving.” He gingerly picks up a pillow from the floor and chucks it at their faces. Dream shields George’s face and chucks it back at Techno, pulling George’s face protectively to his chest. George pulls away and falls out of bed, standing up and walking to the bathroom.  
“Get ready and get packing,” Techno sighs. He leaves and tries Bad’s door, but it’s locked. He goes back to his room and pulls out a small lockpick kit, sliding one of the tools in. He hears the pins click and tries it again, opening it successfully. Bad is curled around Rat on the bed.   
“Come on, Bad,” Techno says softly. He sits on the bed and shakes his shoulder gently. Bad groans and turns away, pulling Rat to his chest.   
“Come on, kid,” Techno says quietly, helping him sit up. “Wake up some. We’re gonna go, okay? We’re going home, and you’re gonna see your boyfriend again. Everything’s gonna be okay. Sit up,” Techno guides. “I’ll start packing all your stuff. Just wake up and help me when you can.” He gives Bad a side hug and stands up, starting to collect their things. He finishes quickly, tucking the toiletries into the bad and zipping it shut. He gives an outfit to Bad and leaves to let him change, packing up his own stuff. He’s done in no time and throws another few pillows at George and Dream, who are making out instead of working.   
“George, put your tongue in his mouth again and I’ll make sure you sleep on the couch!” Techno yells. “I will turn the hose on you!”  
George and Dream flip him off simultaneously.   
“I’m not kidding!” Techno warms. “You better get off him. We’re going to fix them back up. Would it kill you to not suck each other’s faces off every five seconds? Wow. Get up.” He throws a pillow at them. “It’ll be a water bucket next-”  
“You’re being homophobic,” George says.  
“I’m being productive,” Techno says. “I’m trying to make it so that Bad doesn’t cry in his room for the rest of his life. Get up!”  
They finally get up and stop kissing, both taking clothes. Techno leaves and carries down Bad’s and his own bags, placing them on the floor. He walks back up and starts collecting Rat’s stuff.   
“C’mon. You gotta get up.”  
“Skeppy?” Bad smiles toward the door.  
“No. No, it’s Techno. Come on. Get up.” He pulls him up and takes Rat out of Bad’s arms. Bad grabs his glasses and runs screeching after Techno and he bolts, running down the stairs. He holds Rat out of Bad’s reach.   
“Give me!!” Bad screeches, and Techno hands the dog back and guides him to the couch.  
“Just sit here, okay?” Techno makes sure he stays put and walks up to Dream and George’s room, where, shockingly, they’re dressed and almost ready.   
“Come on. Let’s go. We need to make sure they don’t leave without us. Move,” he says. “Come on.”   
They finish even quicker like this, and Dream carries their bags down. Techno does a last survey.  
“Take him to the docks,” Techno tells Dream, picking up his own stuff. “I have one last visit to pay.”  
“Oh, uh, we got your order for that cloak.”  
“I saw it. Thank you. Can you take my duffel?” he asks, slinging his messenger bag over his shoulder. “I need to go do one quick thing.” He walks out the door. Dream picks up all the bags and George takes Bad, leading him tearfully out the door.  
“Come on, Bad,” George says. His heart aches with the pain in Bad’s eyes. They’re red and teary, and he looks completely broken.  
“Hey, Bad, you’re alright. Come on, get up. We’re going to get Skeppy.”  
“Skeppy?”  
“Yeah. Skeppy. Come on. We’ve got all your stuff, let’s go.”  
“Skeppy,” he smiles. “I wanna see Skeppy.”  
“I know.”  
“But Skeppy doesn’t love me anymore,” Bad says simply, his smile disappearing.  
“Skeppy loves you more than anything else in the world.”  
“Why?”  
“Because you’re- because you’re you, Bad. You’re meant for each other. One misunderstanding doesn’t change that. Come on. We’re gonna go fix this.”  
“Thank you, George,” Bad smiles. “I’m glad you’re part of our family.”  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Techno jumps and scales the tree quickly, forgoing the stairs. Alex is sitting there kissing another man, and for some reason this makes Techno even angrier.  
“Alex, correct?”  
“I’m kind of in the middle of something,” Alex says slowly, pulling away from the man.  
“You ruined a member of my family’s relationship. I think he can wait.”  
“You did what?” the man asks, pulling away.  
“Don’t worry about it. I’m going to have a word with this man here, if you could-”  
“No, I don’t think I will,” the man says. “I’d like to hear this.”  
“He kissed Bad’s boyfriend, and he didn’t want the kiss but now they’re broken up. And I’m here to-”  
“You kissed somebody else? And broke them up?”  
“He asked me to!”  
“No, he didn’t,” Techno says, low and steely.  
“Okay, fine. He didn’t ask me directly. But he obviously wanted-”  
“No. He didn’t.”  
“I can’t believe you,” the man yells.  
“He punched you in the face and ran.”  
“You said you ran into a shelf!”  
“Fine. But I just wanted a kiss. It’s not my fault that he couldn’t handle it-”  
What Techno witnesses next is glorious. The man slaps Alex across the face and storms away. Alex leaps for Techno and Techno sidesteps, catching him and turning his momentum against him and locking his arm around Alex’s throat. He pulls the knife out of Alex’s hand and holds it against his neck.  
“Hurt Bad or anyone else again and I will be back,” Techno says, low and angry. “And you will never, ever be able to touch me.” He takes the second knife from Alex, kicking the first one away.  
“I-”  
“Don’t lie.” Techno coldly drops him to the floor and leaves, perfectly catching the knife Alex throws at him and throwing it back all without looking, letting it stab the floor next to Alex’s face, the cool metal flat against his cheek. He turns around, smirking, and steps backward off the stairs. He catches himself on the underside, silently swinging to the ground.   
He’s always been one for a dramatic exit. He unties his hair as he hits the ground, walking quickly toward the docks as it flows dramatically behind him.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
“Look, man, I’m not letting you back on unless Techno’s vouching,” Julian says. “You’re the one that cheated on that dude-”  
“I didn’t,” Bad sobs. “I swear I didn’t-”  
“I’m vouching for him,” Techno sighs. “Let him on.”  
George leads him onto the boat. “Go as fast as you can,” Techno says to Julian. “Bad didn’t do anything wrong, and we need to fix it. Let’s go.”  
“But-”  
“Now.”  
Julian goes without complaining, yelling commands. Winter comes out of a small shack with a bag and kisses Julian briefly before disappearing onto the boat. Techno and Dream grab all the bags and get onto the boat. Bad walks numbly, Rat yipping in his arms.  
“Go take care of George. I’ve got Bad and Rat.” Techno sets his own bag in his room and takes Rat’s food and water bowls out of Bad and Skeppy’s bag, setting them up in Bad’s room. He goes to leave but Bad stops him.  
“Can you stay?” he asks quietly. “I don’t… I want…”  
“Yeah,” Techno says back. “What’s up?”  
“I don’t want to be alone,” Bad says.  
“Do you need to talk?” Techno asks somewhat awkwardly.  
“No, I’m- I just don’t want to be alone in here. It- everything I have has Skeppy-ness all over it.”  
“Oh…”  
“What are you reading?” Bad asks, nodding toward the book in Techno’s bag.  
“Oh. Um, it’s some poetry from the old world. It’s… fascinating. Do you want me to read some to you? Apparently, there’s some… special way to read poetry. There are tapes of it in the library there- people reading poetry. It’s gorgeous- they read it like they’re saying it to some beat that lives in their head, and it’s like their way of- sorry,” Techno cuts himself off.   
“No, it’s okay. Go on.”  
George and Dream are sitting in their room, the quiet hum of Techno’s conversation with Bad muffling through the walls.   
“I hope he’s okay,” George says quietly, sitting sideways in Dream’s lap.  
“He’s okay,” Dream assures. His arms settle around George’s waist and he kisses George’s neck. They kiss slowly, Dream sitting on George’s hips and pinning his wrists to the pillows. A familiar noise issues from George’s mouth and Dream smiles. In the next room Techno and Bad wince simultaneously.   
“Do they ever stop?” Bad asks, flopping back and pulling the pillow over his face.   
“No. They do not.”   
“Do they know we can hear them?”  
“I have no idea,” Techno sighs. “This usually works, though.” He clears his throat and yells “Quiet down or you’re sleeping in separate rooms!”  
Bad laughs and Techno smiles, pulling his book back out and resuming reading. George is finally quieter and Dream kisses him again, sliding his shirt off smoothly and pushing his hands up his chest, kissing him softly. George shivers as Dream drags his hands up George’s sides, leaving soft scrapes. He opens his mouth and Dream claps his hand over it.   
“Mmph,” George says, moving his face. “They can hear us,” Dream hisses. “I don’t think Techno’s kidding about turning a water hose on us.”  
“There is no water hose on this ship!”  
“Actually, there is,” Techno yells. “And I’m not kidding. Come hang out in here with us.”  
George sighs and reclaims his shirt, the pair walking to Bad’s room.  
“What are you even doing in here?”  
“Reading,” Techno says. It’s pretty cramped and Dream sits in the only chair with George on his lap, Bad sitting against the headboard with Rat in his lap, and Techno sitting in the window, a circular thing just big enough to accommodate him. Techno does read some, and they all talk about nothing and everything.  
“We never get to talk like this,” Bad says.   
“We have dinner and that kinda stuff,” Dream says.  
“Well, yeah. But never just… sit down. And talk. And Skeppy isn’t here anymore.” He laughs humorlessly and looks down at Rat.  
“But he’s going to be,” Techno says firmly.   
“Will he?” Bad says. “I didn’t want him to kiss me. But is Skeppy going to believe that?” Rat whimpers and turns around in Bad’s lap.   
“He will,” Techno says firmly. “You don’t have to worry.” Techno dutifully accepts a sad hug, rubbing his back awkwardly. “Don’t worry, Bad. You’re gonna be okay.”  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Hours upon hours later, they finally get home. Skeppy is slumped on the couch. He starts awake when they walk in.  
“Bad?”  
“Yeah,” Bad says quietly. “It’s me.”  
“What are you doing here?” Skeppy’s tone takes a sharp edge.   
“I miss you-”  
“You can’t cheat on me, and then come in here and say you miss me,” Skeppy says furiously.   
“I didn’t want him to kiss me,” Bad yells.  
“But I didn’t see you moving!”  
“Skeppy, I’d never been kissed like that by anyone but you! I was shocked and I didn’t know what to do, but I pulled away and I punched him in the face!”  
“Then why did you lie?” Skeppy screams.  
“Because I was shocked, and I felt vulnerable, and I didn’t want to talk about it yet,” Bad screams back.  
“Since when can’t you trust me with everything?!” Skeppy yells.  
“I can! But not in front of our family!”  
“Like we are now?!”  
“I’m just gonna go and… yeah,” Dream stutters, taking George’s hand and running to their room. Techno flees too.  
“I just- I-” Bad sobs and Skeppy breaks, running toward him and hugging him, the two standing there and holding each other, Bad sobbing into his neck and Skeppy holding him tightly. Skeppy kisses him desperately and tastes Bad’s tears and the fact that Bad has not brushed his teeth, but he doesn’t even care. Skeppy pulls him roughly closer and kisses him hard, gasping, “I missed you so much.”  
“I missed you too,” Bad sobs, and Rat yips approvingly.  
“I’m so sorry,” Skeppy whispers and cups his face. “Bad, I’m so sorry,” he says quietly, tears trickling down his face. “I should have waited for you and- and the explanation. I’m sorry.”  
“No, I’m sorry,” Bad says, crying even harder. “I should have told you right away. I’m sorry,” he cries. “It’s all my fault.”  
“No, it’s not your fault. You’d never had to handle that. Someone kissing you non-consensually isn’t your fault.”   
“You’re the only one I want to kiss,” Bad says. “I swear.”  
Skeppy picks him up and kisses him even harder, teeth tugging at his lips and carrying him to their room. Bad is still crying a little and Skeppy is whispering “you’re okay now, love, I love you so much. I’m not mad anymore, baby, quiet down,” he whispers, settling on Bad’s hips and taking off his shirt. Bad quickly stops crying, transfixed, tugging his bare waist down until Skeppy is lying on top of him, kissing him into soft, familiar sheets. Bad is overwhelmed, Skeppy touching him like every shadow and bruise and kiss is a brush of paint on a masterpiece, the absolute masterpiece that is Bad looking up at him like he hasn’t seen him in years, like his heart is empty without him there on his skin at all times. There is so much bare skin and Bad is processing things in pieces. His glasses, carefully lifted off his face and folded neatly on the nightstand. The door, locked. Skeppy’s legs, thighs on either side of his hips. Skeppy’s hands, in his hair and cupping one side of his jaw. He is overheated and overwhelmed and he quite likes it here.  
“I have to worry about them, too?” Techno whispers to Rat, nodding to where Bad’s amorous noises echo through the hall as he pours her food and water into the tiny bowls Skeppy made. Rat yips and he laughs quietly, taking his book and settling cross legged on the couch. Rat tries valiantly to jump up but fails, and Techno scoops her up and sets her on the blanket in front of him. She plops her head onto the book and looks up at him with huge, adorable eyes. He smiles and gently pushes her head off, turning the page. She stubbornly plops her head back, wagging her tail devilishly. He giggles and scratches behind her ears, tucking his book away as she flops over, wriggling until Techno rubs her stomach. Her tiny little heart beats under his hand.   
“Come on. Let’s go check on your dads, hm?” Techno says after a while, Rat jumping into his arms agreeably. Techno walks to their room and knocks to no response. He edges in carefully, and sees the pair completely passed out, soft snores sounding in the room. Skeppy is stretched out and wearing only underwear and Bad is curled into his side, half his limbs pulled over Skeppy. His face is pressed into Skeppy’s chest and Skeppy has a soft smile on his face. Techno smiles and leaves quietly, closing the door silently and carrying Rat back to the living room.   
He decides to make lunch for all of them, and starts pulling grilled cheese ingredients out of the fridge and ties his hair back.. Dream and George stumble in, bleary-eyed with George’s shorts on backwards.  
“You might want to check on your shorts,” Techno sighs, nodding in George’s direction. George turns around and stumbles back to his room. Dream sits at the counter.  
“How’re they doing?”   
“I think they made up and made out. Bad didn’t get any sleep last night and I doubt Skeppy did either, so let them sleep.” Techno puts a thick slice of butter on the pan and it melts compliantly.   
“Grilled cheese?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Hm.”  
They don’t talk again, George coming back and the two of them sitting on the couch. George just leans into his shoulder, the two sitting there until Techno finishes, serving the two grilled cheeses and some quick tomato soup.   
“Thank you,” George says politely, watching his boyfriend stuff his face with an expression of mild disgust. He gingerly offers a napkin and is ignored, sighing and setting it down.  
“Yeah, I’ve tried everything,” Techno says. “If you manage to give him decent table manners, I’ll- there is no reward big enough,” Techno sighs as Dream picks up his soup bowl. Dream flips him off. “Stop making the food so good, then,” he mumbles with his mouth full. George screws up his face, disgusted.   
“I don’t think you can blame this one on me,” Techno says, taking a neat bite of grilled cheese. “Me and George are managing.” George nods, taking a smooth bite of soup. Dream gives them both dirty looks.   
“On a different matter, I’m going back to the colony. I have all sorts of meetings to attend. I need to go in about fifteen minutes,” he says matter-of-factly.   
“You’re leaving?”  
“Yup. You lot will have to take care of each other for a bit.”  
“Why did you cancel the trip, then?”  
“Because my first priority is all of you, and always all of you. But now that you are all  
taken care of, there are other things I need to do.”  
“Do you need to repack?”  
“No,” Techno says. “Done as much as I need to.” He finishes, taking his dishes to the sink. “Julian and Winter are waiting for me.” He goes to his room and comes out with the bag.   
“Should we wake up Bad and-”  
“No,” Techno says, shaking his head violently. “They need sleep. The devices have a video call function. I’ll call you tonight, okay?”  
“Okay,” Dream says. Techno hugs them both.  
“Goodbye, you guys,” Techno says. “I’ll talk to you tonight.”   
“Bye,” they chorus, and Techno leaves, closing the door behind him.  
Dream slides his hand in George’s hair, kissing him softly.  
“Mom’s gone,” Dream jokes. “We’re all alone.”  
“Yeah,” George says. “We are.” He climbs into Dream’s lap, straddling him and seizing Dream’s jaw, kissing him roughly. Dream tries to pick him up, but George pushes his hands off, seizing his collar and pulling him down the hall. His hands slide into his hair, pushing Dream down to the bed.   
“I love you,” George says, low and deep in his ear. He kisses Dream, thumb sliding his mouth open.   
“I love you,” Dream gasps, and for once, George gets to enjoy it. George settles on top of him, sliding his hands up Dream’s shirt. Dream is lean, muscled, and unbearably gorgeous. George is thin, short and pale, his skin white-pink next to Dream’s tan. Dream revels in it, dragging his hands up George’s side, smoothing a finger over pink scrapes and the map of veins under his skin. George stretches and Dream watches quietly, hands paused on pale thighs.   
Dream grabs George’s waist and presses him to the bed, settling back into their usual pose. He kisses George, like he’s never going to kiss George again, sweet and hungry and tired, opening his mouth and smoothing his hands over every bit of skin he can touch. He’s about to slide his fingers into George’s waistband when Skeppy pokes his head in and clears his throat loudly. George scrambles off Dream, looking panicky.  
“Just me,” Skeppy says. “Uh, where’s Techno? He’s not in his room, or the lab, or the living room…”  
“Uh, he went back to the colony,” Dream says awkwardly. “He had meetings to go to. He’s calling us this evening with some sort of video call function on those devices?”   
“Oh, uh, okay.”  
Skeppy leaves awkwardly, closing the door.  
“Baby?” they hear Bad say sleepily.. “Come back to bed, Skeppy,” he calls.   
George curls into Dream’s side, not kissing him but just cuddling. Dream places his hand flat on George’s chest, watching it rise and fall with his breath. George kisses his cheek, shifting until his limbs are over Dream, settling down. Their legs tangle together naturally, Dream’s arm draping over his back. It’s so warm, so soft, and so incredible that neither of them ever want to move. Dream tangles his hand into George’s hair, looking into his eyes and kissing his forehead, George looking at him with soft, happy eyes.   
“Hi, baby,” Dream says quietly, happily, cutely.   
“Hi,” George says back. He smiles angelically.   
“Have you been doing okay?” Dream asks, looking at him with love and slight worry.  
“Yeah. I was worrying about you for a bit, you know, but you’re strong. I know you’re okay now.” He kisses him, just for a second. “Are you okay?”  
“Yeah.” He shifts slightly. “I’m- I’m okay. I- I never want to be apart from you, and I don’t want our family to break up. I was… scared about Skeppy and Bad. I didn’t know if they were gonna be okay, or if we were-”  
“Baby, did you think it would break us up?” George cuts him off, motioning to the two of them.  
“I don’t! I don’t know!” he says helplessly. “I always thought they were unbreakable, you know? And it was scary to see them fight like that- like they never wanted to see each other again.” He sighs, looking away. “It was a little scary, that’s all.”   
“We’re okay,” George says softly, kissing him gently. “Their fights don’t make us any less strong.” He kisses him again, cupping his face. “Okay?”  
“Okay,” he breathes, kissing George.  
“So, uh… what are we gonna do while Techno’s gone? Do we need supplies?” George asks.  
“No, actually,” Dream says. “We’ve got everything we need already. We’re pretty much set for the week. Just… hanging out.” He sits up and leans against the headboard, opening his arms for George invitingly. George sits next to him, Dream slumping until George can comfortably rest his head on Dream’s shoulder, Dream putting his hand on George’s hip and kissing him softly.   
Bad knocks and Dream pulls away, calling “Come in!”  
“So, uh, I have some recipes I want George’s help with. I’m making us all lunch.” Bad smiles enthusiastically.  
“George and I already ate,” Dream says. “He’s staying.”  
“I need his help. I think you can live without your hand on his- on his bottom for a few minutes,” Bad hisses.  
“Bad!” Dream says in mock surprise and horror. George cracks up.   
“Come on,” Bad urges. “Get up.”  
“He’s staying,” Dream says firmly.  
“He is coming-”  
“Not for you!”  
Bad looks at him in confusion and George chokes on a laugh. “Bad, I’ll help you with dinner, okay? But Dream and I already ate.”  
“Okay,” Bad relents, closing the door. Dream smirks. George laughs and kisses Dream, Dream hauling him onto his lap and kissing him deeply, tilting his head and pulling him close. Dream feels George’s tongue rough against his mouth and shivers, and George smirks, looking at him with satisfaction. Dream seizes George’s chin in his hand and turns it around, throwing him down and stroking his thumb down his jaw, smiling at the stubble under his fingers.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Techno steps off the boat with an air of untouchability and style, feet securely hitting the dock. His hair lifts solemnly off his shoulders and flies through the air, and his mask is secured over his face. His cloak hovers just above the dock, and he meets the weapons experts at the end of the dock.  
“Celeste.”   
“Technoblade,” Celeste nods. “Here is the builder you requested last week. If you agree to helping us move escapees and fighters, he’ll build anything you want for your family.”  
“Thank you, Celeste. I’m Andrew, I’ll be taking you around the colony and showing you house examples. You need five bedrooms, correct?”  
“Three. Two couples, and me. And I’d like to have a nice kitchen, and some sort of roof garden- one of us is a pretty avid cook,” Techno smiles fondly. “And a nice living and reading area.”  
“Alright. I have a few houses in mind,” the builder smiles. “Come with me.”


End file.
